During a digitization project, I noticed this intriguing printer’s error in a 18th century herbal. Apparently, the paper had a fold in it when it went through the press, which accounts for the wide blank line, and the crookedness of the text. On the opposite side, it was clear that they unfolded the paper before printing the other side of the sheet.

Printer’s errors fascinate me, because they’re a perfect example of how books were made by PEOPLE, who made MISTAKES.
18th Century Printers: they were just like us!
Here’s a little GIF I made to illustrate how this error occurred, using a printed photograph I took of the original.
