The volume aims to set forth the origins of the commonplace book using Yale’s broad Osborn collection to expound the genre and to invite scholars to use these books in their research.

To impart a heightened reality to the illustrated leaves, the printer scanned for duotones directly from the books—at life-size where possible—so the reader would come to feel, “I’m holding the actual thing in my hand!” The type, while remaining legible—even gutsy—was never allowed, in density or in scale, to challenge the pictures.

The occasional surround of eminently dull black allowed smaller illustrations to avoid seeming lost on the larger pages— while encouraging them to pop out.