Early Signs of Sixteenth-Century Mexican Typography and Biblio-iconography

Abstract The study of the typography and iconography of printing in sixteenth century Mexico is a question that has yet to be exhausted. While different approaches have been proposed, there are still many elements to study. This paper proposes the application of the newest material analysis methodology to obtain detailed information about the items used for the printing press, based on the traces of ink left on the paper. A comprehensive record of the print types and woodcuts used can build material repertoires of each printing house. These repertories provide outstanding information about the printing materials used when they were in operation. In addition, the analysis of material uses also enables us to reconstruct the internal history of each printing house.