The printer should regularly use his name and device—Neglect and fear of customer’s condemnation—Should mark his product as other craftsmen and manufacturers do—A guarantee of quality—How the innovation could be introduced—A precaution—Imprint should be unassuming and inconspicuously placed—Various uses—First use of a printers’ decorative device— Historical uses of distinguishing marks—Emblems of hospitality—The sign of the Cross—Printers should select a device and attempt to live up to it—The Gutenberg Bible contained neither device nor printed name—Fust and Schœffer’s Psalter first book with imprint—The colophon-A decorative device—Its significance—Imitated—As used by a descendant—The classic Aldus device—Pickering uses it—Others adopt it—Bruce Rogers’s interpretation—The imprint-device of the Venetian Society of Printers— Its significance—Emblem of authority—The most popular of old imprints— Hubbard adopts it—Used on biscuit packages—Other adaptations—Caxton’s imprint device—Resembles a rug—Characters cause discussion—A trade device used by the merchants of Bruges—A merchant’s memorial plate—De Worde adapts the device—Morris’s device resembles De Worde’s—The device of the German master printers—Typothetæ—A modern adaptation—The British printer and the pun—Daye and Myllar—Froben’s imprint—Devices of Bebel, Plantin, the Elzevirs, Tory, Dolet and Estienne—Devices very large in the old days—Ancient motives in two modern devices—The winged Lion of St. Mark—Recent adaptations—Story of the device—A colophon-imprint— Designs with ancient motives—The unique mark of the De Vinne Press— Imprint-devices based upon architectural motives—Initials in monogram form—Representative devices used by commercial printers—Decorative imprints with typefounders’ material—Harmony of type, rule and ornament— Small type imprints—Where should an imprint be placed—On books—On small commercial work—A legitimate opportunity for publicity that should be. LIST OF REPRODUCTIONS The first printed Declaration of Independence, frontispiece PART ONE WHEN BOOKS WERE WRITTEN _Page 1_ The scribe at work, opp. p. 1 Assyrian clay tablet, p. 1 Ancient Roman reading manuscript, p. 2 Roman waxed tablet, p. 3 The Egyptian “Book of the Dead,” p. 3 Evolution of the alphabet, p. 4 Capital letters of the ancient Romans, p. 4 Uncial letters of the sixth century, p. 5 Half-uncial letters, p. 5 Gothic letters of the fifth century, p. 5 Page from the “Book of Kells,” p. 6 THE ORIGIN OF TYPOGRAPHY _Page 7_ Portion from Fust and Schœffer’s Psalter of 1457, opp. p. 7 French playing card, a block print, p. 7 Image print of 1423, p. 7 Bible of the Poor, from block book, p. 8 Text page from the block book “Ars Moriendi,” p. 8 Page from an engraved wood block, p. 9