Printers' and publishers' devices flourished from the 15th century through the end of the 17th century. They could be simple symbols, allegorical vignettes, rebuses, or symbolic references to the printer's name or self-perception. They were an early trademark and as such, susceptible to forgery and appropriation. There are many good printed reference sources for printers' devices, but there is not a unified source. The printed reference books are also unfortunately difficult to locate even in facsimile reproduction.  For over a year, Neus Verger of the Àrea de Reserva of the Biblioteca Universitat de Barcelona has been developing and maintaining an online database of printers’ devices, the Marques d'impressors  (http://lluna.bib.ub.es/impressors/impr.htm). In the spring of last year, the Rare Books section of the Dept. of Special and Area Studies Collections began scanning printers’ devices and developed a form to both display the images and provide bibliographic information concerning them (http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/rarebook/devices/device.htm).
 
 
 

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For a printed copy of this publication please contact
Carol Turner
Assistant Director for Public Services
carturn@mail.uflib.ufl.edu

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