Manutius

The best bet is probably Aldus Manutius, a leading printer in late-15th-century Venice, where the center of printing innovation moved a decade after Gutenberg.

It first appeared in 1494, in a book published in Venice by Aldus Manutius.

“Aldus Manutius. He lived in Venice and printed books the right size to fit into his customers’ saddlebags.”

Finally, there’s no getting away from the tangible delights of reading in a format that has remained essentially unchanged since the printer Aldus Manutius pioneered the portable, hand-held book — small enough to fit in a saddlebag — in 15th century Venice.

The heroic status of Aldus Manutius the Elder among historians of the printed word cannot be overstated.