About Us

  The word "Imperial" derives from the Latin “Imperialis,” and from the early 14th–15th centuries, English spelling was wildly inconsistent. In late Middle English manuscripts, spelling wasn’t fixed, and scribes often leaned on sound or related words. You can find forms of the word imperial written as emperial, empyrial, etc., all used interchangeably. Scribes often spelled words phonetically or by association with related words like emperor.

  Artisanal printers came in the early era of printing when books were produced by skilled craftspeople, not industrial systems. Printing was closer to blacksmithing or bookbinding than modern publishing. Visual balance mattered as much as correctness.

  Printers made choices based on:

• symmetry of the text block
• rhythm of letters
• avoidance of ugly gaps

(“rivers” of white space)

 Artisanal printers were language shapers. Printing houses were cultural authorities. Each shop had house styles, preferred spellings, & favored letterform. Standardization didn’t come from rules—it came from repetition by respected craftsmen making judgment calls under candlelight.

They didn’t just print language.
They decided what English would look like.