Nicholas Jenson

Nicholas was a French publisher and printer who carried out most of his work in Venice.

Apprenticed as a cutter of dies for coinage, later he would become master of the royal mint at Tours. In 1458 the king Charles VIII sent him to Mainz to learn the art of metal movable type printing invented by Johannes Gutenberg. After completion of apprenticeship in 1461, the king Charles VIII was already dead so Jenson decided to move first in Vicenza, where he further improved his printing skills, and after that, in late 1460s in Venice. Once at Venice, Jenson opened a printing shop and his skills and knowledge of printing, designing and manufacturing coin-forging dies, had an important role in the emergence of Venice as one of the first great centers of the printing press. He became famous for designing a new roman typeface.

Thanks to his business superiority, Jenson was able to expand his business activities. By 1477 he could run as many as twelve presses simultaneously producing liturgical, theological and legal texts.

He also consolidated his enterprise by founding two book trading companies in 1475 and in 1480 under the name of “Johannes de Colonia and Nicolaus Jenson et socii”. He died a wealthy man in 1480.