quill.md

layout	quill
title	Quill: Introduction
permalink	/quill/
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Books before Print – Contrary to the editions published by Johannes Gutenberg and his successors – which consist of multiple copies printed from the same setting of moveable type – manuscript books are unique artefacts created with a pen and ink. But this uniqueness does not mean that medieval scribes tended to work unplanned and unguided by routine. Creating a codex is a craft that requires skills and experience. Scribes are trained by teachers and colleagues; they are formed by tradition (although traditions can differ in time and space, as you will learn). Therefore, their workflows are to a large extent the same. Basically, it all comes down to preparing the writing support, copying, correcting and structuring the text, which will usually be protected by a binding. After completion, books are handed over to readers, who in many cases mark their presence on the page – be it the intended user or later owners. The following introduction describes all these stages in eight short chapters, each one referring to related topics in the Glossary.