Wide dark sepia photograph of a printer's workshop with warm copper light catching rows of metal type cases

An Open-Access Edition

The Full Text of John D. Berry's Book on William Caslon

This site hosts the complete text of the book originally published by Mark Batty Publisher, distributed by John D. Berry under a Creative Commons License. Read it, copy it, print it out, pass it on — within the terms of the license.

Distribution note posted April 2010, with acknowledgments to Mark Batty and Cory Doctorow.

About the Book

Creative Commons

The text is distributed under a Creative Commons License. See the copyright page for the full terms and attribution requirements.

Author & Publisher

Written by John D. Berry. Originally published by Mark Batty Publisher.

Print Edition

The illustrated print edition is available from bookstores and online booksellers; images and captions are excluded from the free download.

Inside the Book

A historical study of the eighteenth-century English typefounder William Caslon and the typefaces that still carry his name.

Isometric 3D render of a wooden compositor's drawer filled with warm pewter metal sorts in sepia tones

Chapter I · Origins

The Workshop at Chiswell Street

An account of Caslon's foundry, his punches, and the craft of letter-cutting in 18th-century London — drawn from the open-access text.

Isometric 3D render of stacked broadsheet specimens printed in muted red ink on dark paper

Chapter II · Specimens

Specimen Sheets & Printing History

How Caslon's romans, italics, and ornamental faces shaped book design across two centuries, from broadsides to modern books.

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Founders Caslon — Three Cuts

A small reference set covering the 18th-century original and two 21st-century revivals.

Founders Caslon 1776

The historical context of the original 1776 typeface: punches, matrices, and early printed specimens.

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Founders Caslon Text

Specifics on the text face design — proportions, contrast, and intended reading use.

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Founders Caslon Display

Specifics on the display face design — display weights and headline treatments.

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From the Blog

Posts, updates, and type notes — alongside standard site navigation for Categories, Archives, Tags, and RSS Feeds.