Octavo

Introduced shortly after the invention of printing from movable type, the octavo was the 1st format developed specifically for creating portable, mass-produced, low-cost books. At the same time, Renaissance thinkers believed they could elevate the personal dignity and worth of great numbers of people by disseminating the long-hidden ideas of classical Greek authors. The work of these thinkers and printers changed the world forever: They brought the great ideas of the past to light in the present; and, in doing so, inspired innovation and growth in virtually every area of human experience and experience.