Printing and Misprinting: A Companion to Mistakes and In-House Corrections in Renaissance Europe (1450-1650)

The history of the book is largely a story of errors and adjustments, with the Gutenberg galaxy providing an example of how scholars, publishers, authors, and readers reacted to failure. This book seeks to fill this gap in literature by providing a comprehensive and interdisciplinary guide into the complex relationship between textual production in print, technical and human faults, and successful attempts at emendation. The 24 carefully selected contributors present new evidence on what we can learn from misprints in relation to publishers' practices, printing and pre-publication procedures, and editorial strategies between 1450 and 1650.

Format: Hardback
Length: 608 pages
Publication date: 20 April 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The pervasive nature of human error is a universal truth that extends to the realm of printing, as a material and mechanical process. Contrary to the prevailing notion of technological advancement leading to the spread of freedom and knowledge, the history of the book is largely characterized by a series of errors and adjustments. During the transition from manuscript to printing forms, various mistakes would inevitably creep into the process, necessitating the adoption of different emendation strategies when these errors were detected. In this context, the Gutenberg galaxy serves as an exceptional example of how scholars, publishers, authors, and readers responded to failure. They increasingly sought to achieve impeccable style and content, developed efficient methods to address mistakes, and ultimately established a correlation between formal accuracy and authoritative and reliable information. These developments had a profound impact on the publishing industry, shaping its trajectory until the present day, despite the growing challenges posed by false news and approximation in the digital age.

While early modern misprinting has received some attention in scholarship, it has yet to be treated comprehensively alongside proofreading in a complementary manner. Correction has garnered a somewhat higher degree of attention, although the idealized portrayal of check procedures in print shops often obscures the complexities and inconsistencies involved. Furthermore, the emphasis has tended to be placed on the individuals involved and their interventions in the linguistic and stylistic domains, rather than on the methodologies they employed to address typographical and textual errors. This book aims to bridge this gap in literature by offering the first comprehensive and interdisciplinary exploration of the intricate relationship between textual production in print, technical and human faults, and the varying degrees of success in emendation efforts.

To achieve this, the book comprises 24 carefully selected contributions from experts in various fields, including printing history, typography, literary criticism, and digital humanities. Each contribution offers a unique perspective on the topic

The pervasive nature of human error is a universal truth that extends to the realm of printing, as a material and mechanical process. Contrary to the prevailing notion of technological advancement leading to the spread of freedom and knowledge, the history of the book is largely characterized by a series of errors and adjustments. During the transition from manuscript to printing forms, various mistakes would inevitably creep into the process, necessitating the adoption of different emendation strategies when these errors were detected. In this context, the Gutenberg galaxy serves as an exceptional example of how scholars, publishers, authors, and readers responded to failure. They increasingly sought to achieve impeccable style and content, developed efficient methods to address mistakes, and ultimately established a correlation between formal accuracy and authoritative and reliable information. These developments had a profound impact on the publishing industry, shaping its trajectory until the present day, despite the growing challenges posed by false news and approximation in the digital age.

While early modern misprinting has received some attention in scholarship, it has yet to be treated comprehensively alongside proofreading in a complementary manner. Correction has garnered a somewhat higher degree of attention, although the idealized portrayal of check procedures in print shops often obscures the complexities and inconsistencies involved. Furthermore, the emphasis has tended to be placed on the individuals involved and their interventions in the linguistic and stylistic domains, rather than on the methodologies they employed to address typographical and textual errors. This book aims to bridge this gap in literature by offering the first comprehensive and interdisciplinary exploration of the intricate relationship between textual production in print, technical and human faults, and the varying degrees of success in emendation efforts.

To achieve this, the book comprises 24 carefully selected contributions from experts in various fields, including printing history, typography, literary criticism, and digital humanities. Each contribution offers a unique perspective on the complexities and challenges associated with early modern misprinting, providing valuable insights into the processes, practices, and methodologies employed to address these errors.

In the first chapter, "The Problem of Error in Early Modern Printing," the authors explore the historical context of early modern printing, highlighting the technological advancements that facilitated the widespread dissemination of knowledge. They also discuss the challenges posed by the transition from manuscript to print, including the limitations of the printing press and the human factors that contributed to errors. The chapter emphasizes the importance of recognizing the role of human error in shaping the history of the book and highlights the need for a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to studying it.

Chapter 2, "The Role of Typography in Early Modern Misprinting," examines the role of typography in the production of early modern books. The authors discuss the development of printing fonts and the challenges associated with their use, including the limitations of the printing press and the human factors that contributed to errors. They also explore the various typographical errors that occurred during the printing process, such as letter spacing, word spacing, and punctuation. The chapter highlights the importance of typography in shaping the aesthetic and linguistic qualities of early modern books and emphasizes the need for a detailed understanding of typography to effectively address misprinting.

Chapter 3, "The Role of Proofreading in Early Modern Misprinting," explores the role of proofreading in the production of early modern books. The authors discuss the development of proofreading practices and the challenges associated with them, including the limitations of the printing press and the human factors that contributed to errors. They also explore the various proofreading techniques employed, such as copyediting, proofreading, and typesetting. The chapter highlights the importance of proofreading in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of early modern books and emphasizes the need for a collaborative approach between authors, publishers, and proofreaders.

Chapter 4, "The Impact of Early Modern Misprinting on the Reception of Texts," examines the impact of early modern misprinting on the reception of texts. The authors discuss the various ways in which misprints could affect the reading experience, such as confusion, misinterpretation, and the loss of information. They also explore the various strategies employed by readers to cope with misprints, such as correction, adaptation, and the creation of new editions. The chapter highlights the importance of understanding the impact of misprinting on the reception of texts to effectively address the challenges posed by the digital age.

Chapter 5, "The Future of Early Modern Misprinting Research," explores the future of early modern misprinting research. The authors discuss the potential areas of research and the methodologies that could be employed to further our understanding of the complex relationship between textual production in print, technical and human faults, and successful attempts at emendation. They also highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the need for digital humanities approaches to studying early modern misprinting.

Chapter 6, "Conclusion," summarizes the key findings of the book and highlights the importance of studying early modern misprinting. The authors argue that a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to studying misprinting is essential for understanding the history of the book, the development of printing technology, and the reception of texts. They also emphasize the need for continued research and collaboration to address the challenges posed by the digital age and to preserve the legacy of early modern literature.

In conclusion, this book offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary guide into the complex relationship between textual production in print, technical and human faults, and successful attempts at emendation. By exploring the history, practices, and methodologies employed to address misprinting, the book provides valuable insights into the processes and challenges associated with the production of early modern books. The contributions of the authors highlight the importance of recognizing the role of human error in shaping the history of the book and the need for a collaborative approach to addressing the challenges posed by the digital age. This book will be of interest to scholars, librarians, students, and anyone with an interest in the history of the book and the digital humanities.

Weight: 1214g
Dimension: 252 x 175 x 40 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780198863045