5–11. Jost Amman, woodcut illustrations for Ständebuch (Book of Trades)

This little book presented over a hundred occupations, from the Pope to the scissors sharpener. Amman’s crisp illustrations were accompanied by the prolific poet Hans Sachs’s descriptive rhymes. The occupations of the graphic arts are shown here. 

A. The parchment maker is shown scraping animal skins to produce a smooth surface after they have been washed, stretched, and dried.

B. The papermaker lifts his mold out of the vat as he forms each sheet by hand.

C. The typefounder is depicted pouring the melted lead into the type mold to cast a character. The foreground basket is filled with newly cast type.

D. One printer is shown removing a newly printed sheet from the press while the other one inks the type. In the background, compositors are shown setting type at type cases.

E. The designer is illustrated as he draws an image in preparation for a woodcut or copper engraving. (This
is probably Amman’s self-portrait.)

F. The woodblock cutter carefully cuts the drawing or design into a block of wood.

G. The illuminator, who originally applied gold leaf and color to manuscripts, continued his craft on the typographically printed page.

H. One bookbinder collates the pages of a volume by hand. The other prepares a book for the application of the covers.