Joaquín Ibarra facts for kids

This is the special mark Joaquín Ibarra used for his printing business in 1781.

Joaquín Ibarra y Marín (born in Zaragoza, Spain, on July 20, 1725 – died in Madrid, Spain, on November 13, 1785) was a famous Spanish printer. He was known for making many important improvements in how printing presses, books, and typography (the style and look of text) worked. Some of his most famous books include Conhuración de Catilina y la guerra de Yugurta, printed in 1772, and a special edition of Don Quijote de la Mancha for the Real Academia Española in 1780.

Ibarra was inspired by other great printers like Baskerville, Didot, and Bodoni.

Early Life and His Printing Business

Joaquín Ibarra started his journey in printing by studying in Cervera, a town in Lleida. He learned from his brother Manuel, who was a top printer at the Pontifical and Royal University. Joaquín also studied Latin and learned about ancient cultures.

In 1754, Ibarra moved to Madrid and opened his own print shop. He had 16 printing presses! He worked with the best painters and engravers of his time, which made him a very respected printer. Ibarra was always looking for new and better ways to do things. He even invented a secret formula for his printing ink, which made it incredibly bright and clear.

Smart Ideas for Printing

Ibarra brought many new ideas to printing and how books were put together.

• He tried different ways to make paper smooth, so that marks from the printing plate wouldn't show.
• He created a standard way to measure the size of letters and symbols. This was similar to rules made by Fournier in another country.
• He also set rules for how certain letters were used, like using 'V' instead of 'U' in some cases.

One of his students, Jose Siguenza, later wrote down all of Ibarra's ideas and observations. He published them in a book called Mechanism of the Printing Art in 1811.

Between 1754 and 1836, Ibarra's workshop printed about 2,500 different books! Some of his most important works included the books by Cervantes and Sallust. The Sallust edition was very special, with only 120 copies made for the royal family and important visitors. Other notable books were the Spanish Paleography (1758), Plant History (1762), and the General History of Spain by John Mariana (1780).

He also worked with another publisher, Antonio Sancha, before Sancha started his own printing press. Together, they printed the first parts of the Spanish Parnassus.

Ibarra's Contributions to Printing

Joaquín Ibarra made many important contributions to the art of printing.

• He experimented with paper to make sure the printing plates didn't leave unwanted marks.
• He developed a standard way to measure and produce different types of letters.
• He created his own special formula for ink, which made his printed works stand out.

These improvements can be seen in almost all of his best-known books. Ibarra is considered one of Spain's best printers and was even the official printer for the Spanish Royal Court. His Spanish version of Sallust is thought to be one of the most beautiful books ever made, and even Benjamin Franklin admired it greatly.

About the Types He Used

It's often thought that Ibarra designed, carved, or made his own printing types (the metal pieces with letters on them). However, this isn't true. He actually used types from different companies that made them. The confusion might come from his edition of Don Quixote, for which new types were made, but not designed by him.

Ibarra's printing used types from various foundries (places where types are made). Some of these included types from Gerónimo Gil, the Rangel Smelter, and Eudald Pradell from Lleida. He also used a type called Garamond. For his famous Sallust book, he used a special italic type created by Murcia Espinosa de los Monteros.

Later, in the early 1900s, a company in Madrid called Gans created a new version of some of these old types, which they called "Ibarra." This became the basis for other modern designs.

According to an expert named Mariano Villegas Garcia, Joaquín Ibarra was one of the most amazing typographers and printers during Spain's Golden Age. Another important printer was Don Antonio Sancha, who was also a bookbinder.

How Ibarra Made His Own Paper

Ibarra was also famous for making his own special paper, often with beautiful swirled or "mottled" patterns. The way the colors were placed and moved created these unique designs.

Here's how he did it:

1. He prepared a special liquid bath using a type of gum called "Alquitira" (Tragacanto) mixed with cold water. This mixture would sit for about three days until the gum dissolved, and then he would filter it. This liquid bath formed the background for his paper designs.
2. Next, he prepared the colors. These were pigments often taken from plants. When he first poured them into the bath, they would sink.
3. To make them float and spread, he mixed the colors on a smooth surface with a creamy binding material. He would stir this with a spatula.
4. He could control how the colors spread by adding drops of ox gall (a liquid from an ox's gallbladder) for a smoother finish. If the color was too thick, he would add more contrast.
5. Once the colors were ready and spread on the bath, he would use sticks, needles, or combs to move them around and create amazing drawings and patterns.

Famous Books He Printed

Two of the most important books Ibarra printed were La conjuración de Catilina y La guerra de Iugurta (1772) and El ingenioso hidalgo don Quixote de La Mancha (1780).

La conjuración de Catilina y La guerra de Iugurta was considered a masterpiece. It had beautiful illustrations by Mariano Maella. Ibarra's projects were known for having a perfect mix of harmonious type, inks, illustrations, margins, and paper textures. Only 120 copies of this book were printed, and they were given to the royal family, important organizations, and famous people in Spain.

El ingenioso hidalgo don Quixote de La Mancha was a very fancy, deluxe edition of Don Quixote. It came in four volumes and was printed on special paper with newly made types. The text in this edition was based on the second edition of the book from 1605. This beautiful book was so artistic that the Academy of San Fernando was put in charge of it.

Over eight decades, about 2,500 different works came out of Ibarra's workshop.

Here are some other books he printed:

• Juicio imparcial sobre las letras... Duque de Parma. Madrid: en la oficina de D. Joachin de Ibarra, 1769.
• QUEVEDO, Francisco de, Politica de Dios y gobierno de Christo... Madrid: por D. Joachin Ibarra, 1772.
• PONZ, Antonio, Viage de España o Cartas... Madrid: por D. Joachin Ibarra, 1772.
• BECCARIA, Cesare Bonesana, Marchese di, Tratado de los delitos y de las penas. Madrid: por D. Joachin Ibarra, 1774.

When Ibarra passed away in 1785, his wife and children continued to run the printing workshop until 1836.

See also

In Spanish: Joaquín Ibarra para niños

• Ibarra (tipografía)
• Ibarra Real (tipografía)
• Tipografía española