There are those who look upon books simply as one of several possible repositories of information, and there are those who look upon books as something special because of their sheer physicality. The latter concern themselves not only with information while constructing their private libraries, but also with how that information is presented. Is the text printed on paper that is supple, that takes a good impression, that is likely to outlast its maker? Is the printing of the text pleasing to the eye, is it easy to read, are the margins generous? Is the binding appropriate to the text and to the other elements of the book's construction?
These are not questions asked only of books being produced by fine presses. They are questions that any book collector is likely to ask of books that he or she is looking to place on their bookshelves for a very long time. No one wants a book that is poorly designed, poorly printed, poorly bound...if other options are available:
Printing looms very large in these decisions. The choice of a font, how well a page is designed with that font in mind, how letters are impressed upon the page...these matters can easily be the subject of their own private library.
Over the next several posts, we will examine printing and the various ways that book collectors add titles about this subject to their private libraries. We will begin by examining some important books that deal with the history of printing....
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