I. Book catalogues.
Printed catalogues of books issued by the Plantin Press. They were publishedin order to promote sales (as such they were often sent to booksellers, patrons and scholars to make possible their choice from afar). In these catalogues not all the editions of the Plantin Press were entered. The criteria followed when compiling the lists have never been specified, either by Plantin or his successors. The deciding factor was probably which books were actually in stock in the store-rooms in Antwerp and Frankfurt. The utility of the catalogues is furthermore limited by the fact that the year of publication of the editions is never given, nor the number of pages or quires, nor the price. The publications are always listed in the same order: Latin editions; editions in 'vulgar' languages, according to language. For more details: L. Voet, The Golden Compasses, II, pages 422-425 (with references to Plantin's correspondence: page 424, n. 3). Cf. also Rooses, Musée, pages 172-173.
- cp012727: Index librorum officinae Plantini, 1566.
- cp010988: Index librorum qui Antverpiae in officina Christophori Plantini excusi sunt, 1567.
- cp010533: Index librorum qui Antverpiae in officina Christophori Plantini excusi sunt, 1568.
- cp012690: Index librorum qui Antverpiae in officina Christophori Plantini excusi sunt, 1572.
- cp012050: Index librorum qui Antverpiae in officina Christophori Plantini excusi sunt, 1575.
- cp010102: Catalogus librorum typographiae Plantini, 1579.
- cp012918: Catalogus librorum qui ex typographia Christophori Plantiniprodierunt, 1584.
II. Ordinances and regulations for the 'chapel' or 'compagnie' (association of the workers of the Plantin Press).
A 'chapel' or 'compagnie', including all the compositors and pressmen, was established in the Plantin Press at its very foundation. Regulations for the 'chapel' were regularly issued by the masters of the Golden Compasses, often in the form of printed broadsides. Five of these printed sheets must date from Plantin's time. The ordinances of Plantin and the Moretuses were published with a commentary by M. Sabbe, 'De Plantijnsche werkstede. Arbeidsregeling, tucht en maatschappelijke voorzorg in de oude Antwerpsche drukkerij' in Verslagen en Mededeelingen van de Koninklijke Vlaamsche Academie voor Taal- en Letterkunde, 1935, pages 597-694. The commentary, without the documents, was also published in French translation: M. Sabbe, 'Dans les ateliers de Plantin. Règlement du travail, discipline et prévoyance sociale' in Gutenberg Jahrbuch, 1937, pages 174-192. A detailed summary in English by P.J. Turner, 'Working conditions in the Printing Office of Christopher Plantin and the Plantin Chapel' in Printing Review, 20, no. 75, 1959. The ordinances of Plantin's time are not dated: their chronology is discussed by L. Voet, 'The Printer's Chapel in the Plantinian House' in The Library, 5th series, 16, 1961, pages 1-14. Cf. also L. Voet, The Golden Compasses, II, pages 309 ff., especially page 310, n. 1. Other recent studies: L. and W. Hellinga, 'Regulations relating to the planning and organization of work by the master printer in the ordinances of Christopher Plantin' in The Library, 5th series, 29, 1974, pages 52-60; J.-P. Gilmont, 'Printers by the rules' in The Library, 6th series, 2, 1980, pages 129-155.