Printers Mark – the symbol of early printers and publishers; the orb and the cross

While reading, “Symbols: the alphabet of human thought” I came across an interesting one regarding printers and publishers from hundreds of years ago. The orb and cross was the symbol most used by them to leave their mark (aka a “printers mark”* or logotype*; as in the colophon), in the days just after Johannes Gutenberg founded moving type and the modern printing press:

This semester we will be looking at printer’s devices (symbols) used to identify the printer or publisher of a book. Many early printers use the orb and the cross which signified the earth and Christianity, shown above left. This particular version is the mark of Joannes de Colonia of Venice, 1481. Image source orb

On the right is a contemporary printer’s mark by Paul Moxon for his Fameorshame press. He explains, “A related sign the orb and cross, ‹literally the earth surmounted by the cross› is also the alchemical symbol for antimony an ingredient in type metal. Long before the development of printing, the 4 had been a mark of merchants to identify their wares. … 20th century master bookmen who have adapted the orb and four include: Warren Chappell and Fritz Kredel, Koch, & Giovanni Mardersteig, among others, chose the orb and cross. Moxon quote and image source
Source: http://www.designhistory.org/symbols.html

Could this be the lost symbol in Dan Brown’s next novel coming out in a month or so? Anyway, just a little piece of interesting print-media history from a cool site, DesignHistory.org!

* Printers Mark = “a stamp or device, usually found on the copyright page, that identifies a book as the work of a particular printer.” See:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/printers+mark

* logotype = “an identifying symbol (as for use in advertising)” See:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/logotype
Additionally: “A logo is a graphical element (ideogram, symbol, emblem, icon, sign) that, together with its logotype (a uniquely set and arranged typeface) form a trademark or commercial brand.”

Personally, symbols as well as history amaze me, as you can see on this presentation about the origins of the Christian fish symbol. Even the very word logo itself and it’s roots are amazing, as it comes from the Greek meaning of “Word.” It is also interesting to look at “ideograms.” As Wikipedia puts it, “Today there are many corporations, products, services, agencies and other entities using an ideogram (sign, icon) or an emblem (symbol) or a combination of sign and emblem as a logo” (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logo). As the old Chinese proverb says, “may you live in interesting times.”

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