Apian, Cosmographicus, 1524 (C4v)

With this 4-part movable diagram from Apian’s Cosmographicus, the user can practice a series of complicated calculations, including latitude, the times of sunrise and sunset, the duration of dawn and dusk, and the height of the sun.

Apian, Cosmographicus, 1524 (H4r)

In the center of this complicated volvelle, you can see the thread used to attach the moving parts to the page; in this picture you can see the other side of this leaf and thread.

Apian, Cosmographicus, 1524 (H4v)

In this middle of this page, and obscuring some text, is the string and paper securing the discs of the volvelle on the other side of this leaf.

Apian, Cosmographicus, 1524 (π1r)

This title page for the first edition of Peter Apian's Cosmographicus has been printed in both black and red ink.

Encyclopédie plates, 1769 (vol 7, pl 14)

An illustration of a pressroom: on the left the paper is being placed on the tympan while the type is being inked; on the right a separate press is being pulled while the beater works the ink in the background. At the bottom of the page is a top-down view of the press showing how a quarto imposition looks on the press stone and how it is inked on the paper held on the tympan.

Encyclopédie, Plates, 1769 (vol 7, pl 1)

An illustration of compositors working along with detailed pictures of pieces of type.

Encylopédie plates, 1769 (vol 7 pl 15)

This side view of the common press is particularly useful for showing how the frisket folds down over the paper on the tympan, which then folds down over the imposed forme for printing. The pressman (standing facing us) would then roll the forme under the platen (barely visible hanging between the upright cheeks) and then reach across to pull the lever to lower the platen, creating the pressure to transfer the ink from the type to the paper.

Soldini, Anima brutorum, 1776 (a8r; Smithsonian)

The opening of each chapter in this book features intaglio initial letters, the colors of which vary from copy to copy. In this copy from the Smithsonian, an ochre ink is used, but in the Getty's copy, the initial letter is printed in blue.

Soldini, Anima brutorum, 1776 (pl. facing a8r; Smithsonian)

Because plates are printed in a separate process from letterpress text, and because the images in Soldini's work are not closely related to the text, different copies of the book have the plates inserted and bound in different locations. In this copy from the Smithsonian, this is the illustration facing the first chapter, but compare this to the Getty's copy of the book.