purely roman forms that are directly recognizable as such even by modern standards.' 4Р”Р„lthough sculpted by punchcutting, early metal type still carried the diagonal stress and line weights of the wide nib pen. The type used by de Speyers had extraordinary clarity. 'The first book printed in Venice was Epistolae ad familiares by Cicero, (1469 )printed by Johann de Speyer. Johann's death in their first year negated the contract. The credit is given to Johann de Speyer and his brother Wendelin who were awarded an exclusive 5 year contract to establish the city's first printing press. Venice was the location of the first fully Humanistic letterform to be cast as metal type. By 1489 more than 50 printers were established in the city. Venice, a wealthy sea trading community, in near proximity to the potential book markets of four major university towns, became one of the most influential printing centers of the Renaissance. His designs were influenced by the calligraphic style of the Italian Humanists-yet still retained influences from the Gothic- hybrid or semi-humanistic form.Р”В«y 1467 the pair moved to Rome where, based in the DeMassimi Palace, continued printing with increasingly more Humanistic influences until 1473. Sweynheim, an engraver, was most likely the punchcutter.

Two German print refuges were Conrad Sweynheym and Conrad Pannartz, (thought to have been associated with Gutenberg's business partner, Schoeffler) who set up the first press in Italy at the Benedictine Monastery of Subiaco. There they fashioned their work to follow the Renaissance movement and the Humanistic handwriting influences. When the German printing capital, Mainz, was sacked in 1462 many printers fled to new locations, most to Italy. The Italian Renaissance Influence on Metal Type

Griffo bembo typeface