The printing press in the time of Antonio de Nebrija

He replaced wood with metal, creating casting molds of movable letters. Sets were distributed in boxes inside a piece of furniture known as a type case. An old wine press, to which the molds were attached, was used as a printing plate.

Spaces inside the initial letters were left blank, and later either left like that or illuminated by hand. They had a basic structure, with no front cover and the text starting on the second page. Later, the title and author or some illuminated letters began to appear on the front page.

Texts were usually arranged into two columns in folio books, and across the page in a single block of text in smaller ones. Comments in smaller letters surrounded the main text. The comments were usually haphazard in appearance, with numerous abbreviations and not many breaks in the text.

At that time, the binding was either made of parchment (which was cheaper) or leather with Mudéjar (type of ornamentation used in the Iberian Christian kingdoms) or Gothic decoration. The binding protected the book and was commissioned by the owner of the book, or the editor. Occasionally, it featured the owner's coat of arms.

Salamanca, with its prestigious university, was home to an extremely prolific printing house. It was established in 1478 by two men from Seville, whose work was continued at a later date by Juan de Porras. They published 140 works at the time of the incunable, many of which were by Nebrija.

Nebrija's works are a testament to a specific period for the printing press in Spain, and across Europe more widely. Many of the early editions were incunables. They were produced during the earliest years of the printing press and have some very recognizable physical features.

Nebrija probably saw a printed book for the first time in Bologna. He was heavily involved in the publication process of some of his works: in Salamanca, for example, he carefully oversaw the printing at a printer's workshop of one edition of his Introductiones.