machine breaker
acting on the model of dissatisfied English workers (see Luddite)
machine set
in the printing industry, a means of typesetting using machines
mackle (paper waste)
printed paper that is damaged or has become worthless
magazine
a print medium that is read mainly because of its entertainment value
magenta
together with the printing inks Cyan, Yellow and Black (Key Colours) one of the four basic colours of the CMYK colour space
magic
the attempt to influence people and events through ritual or communication with supernatural beings
magistrate
collegial administrative head of a city with the appropriate constitution
Magna Carta
agreement concluded in 1215 between the king and rebellious nobility, the most important source of English constitutional law
magnetic storage
in the magneto-optical disk (MOD) data was magnetically written and read out optically, the method is now obsolete
majuscule (uppercase)
typographic term for the capital letters of the alphabet
majuscule cursive
Roman font from the 1st-4th Century designed for everyday use which consists only of uppercase letters
male mould
the stamp of a character cut into steel, used to create the die plate required for type casting
mandarin
designation for dignitaries in East Asia
mandorla
a symbol of holiness in art such as a halo or aura of light surrounding the whole body
manipulation
in technology, the art of handling; in politics, psychology and sociology, a term for targeted and covert influence
manner
in printing, the composition of the printed text by assembling individual pieces of cast metal type
manufactory
large commercial operation using the division of waged labour for the mass production of cloth, silk, porcelain, mirrors, etc.
manuscript
designates a script written by hand; applicable in the case of a manuscript or codex
marbled paper
decorated by a special coloured paper method, which is used mainly for covers and endpapers
marbling
technique of coloured paper production, which is also used for the decoration of book sections
margin
column at the edge of the page to accommodate captions or references
marginal illumination
ornaments at the top or side of the page especially common in old manuscripts
marginalia
note on the edge of a manuscript or book, comments, hints or corrections
mass media
means of communication, which share content through technical reproduction of font, image and sound to an unspecified audience
master
master, chief, also academic degree
master (sample volume)
the term for a pre-made sample volume, which demonstrates the features of an edition
master book
a collection of templates for ornaments, etc., or a book with original patterns of paper and binding materials
master scribe
writing master, able to convey the right way to write ("modus scribendi")
medal
a commemorative or honorary metal disk bearing some form of artistic rendering on the occasion of an event, award etc, that is not legal tender, in contrast to the coin
media archaeology
efforts being made in new digital media to preserve already existing databases as knowledge of humanity
media designer
graduates of professional training in the areas of image and sound, digital and print, flexo and screen printing
media ecology
branch of media studies, which deals with the interaction of media and their environment
mediatisation
the process by which areas were placed under a sovereign at the end of the Holy Roman Empire
memory
capacity or components for temporary storage, buffering and long-term storage of data, information and knowledge
mendicant
itinerant pupils, students and scholastic clerics of the 12th and 13 century
mendicant orders
religious orders (Franciscans, Dominicans) who lived in extensive poverty; originated as a reaction to heretical movements in the 13th century
mercantilism
prevailing European economic model in the Age of Absolutism (16th-18th century)
metadata
data containing data about other data, such as records in bibliographic databases
metal furniture
metal parts mounted on a book cover (fittings in the centre and at the four corners) primarily designed to protect the book when lying flat
microform
footage with small images of printed materials in the form of roll film or microfiche
Middle Ages
In European history the period between antiquity and modern times, about the 6th to the 15th century
military postal service
mail service between the front and home in wartime
miniature
type of book painting, originally derived from the Latin word, minium (a lead-based red dye)
miniature book
very small books of high quality produced for collectors
mirrors for princes
instructive writings in the medieval and early modern periods for monarchs and their offspring with guidance on legal matters and duties
missal
one of the most important liturgical books for Mass in the Catholic Church
modus scribendi
the correct way to write, mediated by the master scribe
monarchy
form of government in which a monarch or a hereditary monarch holds the office of head of state, in contrast to a republic
monastery
a secluded place in which monks or nuns reside and work with a primary focus on the practicing of their religion
monasticism
a form of life existing in various religions in which the adherent faces away from the world to address spiritual goals
monogram
a sign composed of individual letters
monograph
a single, self-contained work that constitutes a definitive statement on its subject
monopoly
market situation in which for a particular economic good only one provider is present
monotype
recorded text entry that was created for the letterpress system and a type moulding machine
montage sheet
finished pressure plate copy sheet with the properly assembled films for printing and binding of pages
Moon type
Relief type, whose characters are geometric figures, developed in 1845 by Dr. William Moon
morocco leather
very fine and soft tanned goat leather which is used for book covers
mosaic
a decorative, pictorial or written presentation formed by assembling different coloured flakes of stone
mosaic
technique for assembling forms, patterns, images and texts of different colours and shapes together
motto
a text setting out a guiding principle, often in the form of a quotation
movable type
individual components cast from a special alloy serve in the printing and reproduction of a text composed from then
Mozarab
name for a Christian who lived in Spain or Portugal under Muslim rule
multi-colour printing
in all modern printing processes common technique for producing coloured print products
murder ballad
a song that is presented publicly by a singer with accompaniment by the barrel organ or other instruments
muses
in Greek mythology the goddesses of the arts, usually nine in number
Muses' Almanac
literary form of publication that emerged around 1770 and usually offering literary notes and reviews in addition to poems
museum
place of learning dedicated to the building and preservation of collections, which are developed and made available to the public
music copying
the production of music notation for the purposes of printing and publishing
music engraving
an integrated process for producing print type for music notation which uses punches, burins and moulds
musical manuscript
works of music that are available as printed material in notation
Muslim
a devotee of Islam
mystery religion
secret cult that is accessible only to the initiated
mysticism
a special and unmediated form of religious life and experience
myth
story of the origin or end, of the gods and the world of creation, etc.
mythology
the systematic study of myths, or the sum of the myths of a people, a region, etc.
