Printer's marks

Printers' marks were identifying symbols used by early modern printers to sign their work. Often found on title pages, they combined imagery with initials or mottos. These marks served as a guarantee of quality and helped establish a printer's identity in a growing book market. Today, they offer valuable insights for book historical research.
Christian cross9

Joannes I Masius

1550 -

H. van Cuyck, Litvrgicæ precationes (1605), Universiteit Antwerpen - Bibliotheek Ruusbroecgenootschap RG 3113 H 10 (f. i6 verso)

  • 1605
  • Christian cross
  • bio

    Jan Maes or Joannes Masius (active 1566–1615) was a printer and bookseller in the university town of Leuven in the Habsburg Netherlands. wikipedia

Huybrecht I Anthoon

1561 - 1630

ANONYMOUS (1628). Ordonnantie ons heeren des conincx. Op het stuck vande munte, Universiteitsbibliotheek Gent - Boekentoren BIB.HIST.008677/5 (f. B4 verso).

Catharina Velpius

1569 - 1642

Histoire dv bon chevalier, messire Iacqves de Lalain by George Chastelain (1634), Public Library Bruges 3307 (f. )-(1 recto).

Jan Theodore Anthoon Velpius

1653 - 1717

Ayant esté trouvé necessaire de regler en attendant la ratification de la paix by I. Ieghers (1678), Ghent University, Boekentoren Acc.Meul.1678/4 (f. A3 verso).

Eugenius Henricus II Fricx

1644 - 1730

F. Tavernier, Advertissement omme d'heer Jan VVain contrewarandain [...] (1680)

Stedelijke Erfgoedbibliotheek-Stadsarchief Mechelen M.03607(a)/A (f. I2 verso)

Martinus II van Bossuyt

Breve apostolicum by Innocentius XII [Pope] (1697), Ghent University, Boekentoren 183.C261 (f. D2 recto).

Michael Maes

- 1703

Wegh der volmaecktheyt by Teresa of Avila (1697), Ghent University, Boekentoren BIB.G.001455/1[bis] (f. A1 recto).

John Eton

- 1731

Theologia capucino-seraphica scholastica et moralis. Pars tertia by Franciscus Maria of Brussels (1718), Katholic University Leuven, Mauritz Sabbe Library 2-028872/B (f. «03C0»1 recto).

Michiel Petrus de Goesin

1709 - 1761

Tractatus de desiderio et fuga episcopatus by Joannes Baptista Vermeersch (1753), Katholic University Leuven, Mauritz Sabbe Library 63 C 1/5.3 (f. A1 recto).

The printers listed on this page come from the Short Title Catalogus Vlaanderen (STCV), a retrospective bibliography of books printed before 1801 in what is now Flanders, including Brussels. All other data comes from Wikidata and Wikipedia. This website is a project by the Flemish Heritage Libraries. There are 249 printers on this page. This page was last updated on 2026-08-04.