Aldus Manutius — Plinth & Laud

Plinth & Laud advertisement featuring Aldus Manutius with text about his contributions to typography and printing.

ALDUS MANUTIUS

"Those who cultivate letters must be supplied with the books necessary for their purpose..."

Aldus Manutius was a humanist and scholar who combined typography and editorial excellence with elegant design. He pioneered the Aldine Press, one of the most influential printing houses of the Italian Renaissance. It produced some of the first printed editions of many Greek and Latin classics, and introduced the octavo format which is considered to be the predecessor to the paperback, revolutionizing personal reading. The printing house also played a crucial role in standardizing punctuation like the comma and semicolon; and was instrumental in the proliferation of what later became italics; which was introduced in its 1501 edition of Virgil.

PLINTH & LAUD is a short highlight paying homage to the influential visionaries whose legacies continue to captivate and enchant our imaginations.

This edition of Plinth & Laud originally appeared in the January 2026 Snow Moon Issue of our monthly newsletter, the Liminal.

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