John Baskerville
Printer and typefounder
Birmingham printer who renewed printing with sharper type, smoother paper and blacker ink.
John Baskerville made money in japanned goods before turning to printing in Birmingham. He wanted to make books more beautiful and worked on type, paper, ink and press together.
His typeface, with greater contrast between thick and thin strokes, is regarded as the transition between older and modern romans. He had little success in England but was admired in Europe.