Jenson, << JEHN suhn or zhahn SAWN, >> Nicolas (1415?-1480), was a French-born printer who perfected roman-style type. In 1470, he designed a style of type known today as Venetian Oldstyle that influenced nearly all later roman types. Roman type features serifs, thin lines that finish off the main strokes of a letter.
Jenson was born in Sommevoire, France, and was master of the Royal Mint at Tours. In 1458, he went to Mainz, Germany, to study the process of printing books with movable type. Johannes Gutenberg had invented this process in Mainz a few years earlier (see Gutenberg, Johannes ). After learning the art of printing, Jenson moved to Venice, Italy, in 1467. There, he developed his style of roman type. Jenson died in Venice in September 1480.
