Publications of profit, but

Note: The following printer, bookseller, or publisher lists are works in progress. They are generated from title page imprints and may reproduce false and misleading attributions or contain errors.

What does "printed by" mean? How to read the roles ascribed to people in the imprints.

In terms of the book trades, the lists below are sorted into up to four groups where: the person is designated in the imprint as having a single role:

  1. "printed by x"; or
  2. "sold by x"; or
  3. "printed for x" or "published by x";

or as having the seller and printer roles in combination, or an absence of the printer's name following "London: printed:" or "London: printed,":

  1. "printed and sold by x"; or "printed for and sold by x"; or "printed by and for x"; or "printed: and sold by x"; or "printed, and sold by x";  and so on.

On this last point, trade publishers may seem to have "printed" or "published" the work, though they did not own the copyright. The lists below reflect only the information on the imprint, except where ESTC provides extra information.

See also "The Meaning of the Imprint."

Printed for profit, but

  • Sparke, Michael. Scintilla, or, A light broken into darke warehouses. With observations vpon the monopolists of seaven severall patents, and two charters. Practised and performed, by a mistery of some printers, sleeping stationers, and combining book-sellers. Anatomised and layd open in a breviat, in which is only a touch of their forestalling and ingrossing of books in pattents, and raysing them to excessive prises. Left to the consideration of the high and honourable House of Parliament now assembled. At London,: printed, not for profit, but for the common weles good: and no where to be sold, but some where to be given, 1641. ESTC No. R8350. Grub Street ID 128530.