{"id":3939,"date":"2024-03-20T14:41:06","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T13:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plantininstituut.be\/opleiding\/history-of-the-book\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T16:21:47","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T15:21:47","slug":"history-of-the-book","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/plantininstituut.be\/en\/opleiding\/history-of-the-book\/","title":{"rendered":"History of the book"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"product-post\" data-elementor-id=\"3939\" class=\"elementor elementor-3939 elementor-2249\" data-elementor-post-type=\"product\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5e385ed e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5e385ed\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-50ef424 elementor-hidden-tablet elementor-hidden-mobile e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"50ef424\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-54d852b e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"54d852b\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bd85eb7 elementor-drop-cap-yes elementor-drop-cap-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"bd85eb7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;drop_cap&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 15-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>In this short course, we explore how the design of the printed book came to be and how book layout has evolved since the fifteenth century.<\/p><p>To do so, we begin with the production of late medieval manuscripts. We then examine the invention of the hand press by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-fifteenth century, a technology that remained in use until the nineteenth century.<\/p><p>We discuss how new production techniques, along with factors such as tradition and economics, continue to shape the appearance of books today. These insights are illustrated using manuscripts and prints from the historical collections of the Museum Plantin-Moretus. A printing demonstration with a wooden hand press and a guided tour of the museum make this history tangible and concrete.<\/p><p>With this historical background, designers today can take an informed stance on centuries-old traditions and practices, choosing whether or not to incorporate them into their daily work.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4f25914 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"4f25914\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;sticky&quot;:&quot;top&quot;,&quot;sticky_offset&quot;:100,&quot;sticky_parent&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;sticky_on&quot;:[&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tablet&quot;,&quot;mobile&quot;],&quot;sticky_effects_offset&quot;:0}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-131a0bc elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"131a0bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"custom-add-to-cart-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/plantininstituut.be\/en\/opleiding\/history-of-the-book\/?add-to-cart=3939\">Sign me up<\/a>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cb1fdb3 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"cb1fdb3\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a023868 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"a023868\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 15-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Lecturer<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-76391b5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-shortcode\" data-id=\"76391b5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"shortcode.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\r\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/plantininstituut.be\/en\/docent\/joran-proot\/\" class=\"opleiding-docent-intro\">\r\n            <div>\r\n                <div class=\"related-image-container\">\r\n                                            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/plantininstituut.be\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/joran-close.jpg\" alt=\"Joran Proot\">\r\n                                    <\/div>\r\n\r\n                <div>\r\n                    <h4>Joran Proot<\/h4>\r\n                    <div>Book Historian, Curator and Lecturer<\/div>\r\n                    <span class=\"opleiding-docent-readmore\">\u2013\u203a Read more<\/span>\r\n                <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n        <\/a>\r\n\r\n    \t\t<div class=\"elementor-shortcode\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2a08664 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"2a08664\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-836a8a7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"836a8a7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Practical Information<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-473b29d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"473b29d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>This short course is part of the one-year <a href=\"https:\/\/plantininstituut.be\/opleiding\/typografie-boek\/\">Typography &amp; Book<\/a> program but can also be taken separately.<\/p><p><span style=\"font-size: clamp(1rem, 0.94rem + 0.23vw, 1.13rem);\">Exceptionally, this course will be held on a Friday (October 10, 2025).<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-57fed38 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"57fed38\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3ec2ec1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3ec2ec1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Costs<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9cee69e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"9cee69e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div><div data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"5205e14d-a7e7-4980-86f2-70bd2d6c102c\" dir=\"auto\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-4o\"><div><div><p>Registration fee: \u20ac210.<br>Tiered discounts apply when combining multiple short courses within the same year.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn about the historical development of the book as an information carrier and cultural object. How has the layout of books evolved since the fifteenth century?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2591,"template":"","meta":[],"product_cat":[93],"product_tag":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>History of the book - Plantin Instituut voor Typografie<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/plantininstituut.be\/en\/opleiding\/history-of-the-book\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"History of the book - Plantin Instituut voor Typografie\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn about the historical development of the book as an information carrier and cultural object. 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