Printer's Marks

In the 16th century guild regulations forbade women to train as printers or start presses, but they could inherit and run printing houses as widows. Charlotte Guillard (d. 1557) worked at the important Soleil d’Or press in Paris from 1502 until her death, running it through two periods of widowhood, the second lasting the final twenty years of her life.

In an age when copyright was weak or non-existent, and pirated editions were commonplace, the printer’s mark asserted identity, authenticity, and authority. These are from the 15th through early 17th centuries.

1. Charlotte Guillard’s mark

2. Scholar-printer Aldus Manutius, among whose innovations were the Italic font and the first practicable Greek font.

3. Henri Estienne (Stephanus), whose 1578 edition of Plato’s works established the system of reference and organization used to this day.

4. Ottaviano Scoto

5. Ioannes Maire

6. Paolo Meietti

7. Alessandro Bindoni

8. Giunti family

9. Andreas Torresanus & Bartolomaeus de Blavis

10. Bartlomeo de gli Alberti