Aldus Manutius

Who was Aldus Manutius?

Aldus Pius Manutius, the Latinised name of Aldo Manuzio — sometimes called Aldus Manutius, the Elder to distinguish him from his grandson, Aldus Manutius, the Younger — was an Italian humanist who became a printer and publisher when he founded the Aldine Press at Venice.

His publishing legacy includes the distinctions of inventing italic type, establishing the modern use of the semicolon, developing the modern appearance of the comma, and introducing inexpensive books in small formats bound in vellum that were read much like modern paperbacks.