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Printing room (anno 1570) of the Plantin-Moretus Museum, Antwerp, Belgium

During the handpress era (roughly 1450–1800), and especially in the 16th century, the Southern Netherlands (corresponding largely to what is now Belgium) was an international centre for the printing of books and images. There were printers in many of the towns, and some towns had many printers.

The laws of Charles V required all printers and booksellers to acquire a license in order to exercise their trade, a requirement that was in place through the subsequent period of Spanish rule. His son, Philip II of Spain, further ordered that the Antwerp printers enrol with the Guild of St Luke, adding another layer of control. The business records of one of the most important printing houses of the era, the Plantin Office in Antwerp, have remained intact, and are now the archive of the Plantin-Moretus Museum. As a result, the records of who was involved in printing are extremely accessible to historians and have been much studied.

This list is arranged alphabetically by town. Booksellers or print publishers who did not own a printing press but who commissioned printing under their own name are included. Some of the dates given are approximate. As of January 2015 the list is largely limited to printers who were active at some point during the rule of the Archdukes Albert and Isabella (1598–1621).

Antwerp

Antwerp was the most important centre of printing in the Spanish Netherlands and had the best connections with international markets. The following printers and booksellers were active in Antwerp.

Andreas Bacx, active 1578–1614
Anthoni Ballo, active 1591–1618
Balthazar Bellerus, active 1589; moved to Douai, active 1590–1634
Joannes Bellerus, active 1553–1595
Widow of Joannes Bellerus (Elisabeth Commers), active 1595–1616
Lucas Bellerus, active 1574–1600
Petrus Bellerus, active 1562–1600
Gilles Beys, active 1590–1594; moved to Paris, active 1594–1595
Jacob Bosselaer, active 1595–1608
Peter de Cater, active 1585–1598; moved to Amsterdam, active 1601–1612
François de Cauwe, active 1594–1610
Hendrik de Clerck, active 1585–1597
Joannes Cnobbaert, active 1620–1637
Widow of Joannes Cnobbaert (Maria de Man), active 1637–1664
Michiel Cnobbaert, active 1657–1689
Hieronymus Cock, active 1548–1570
Arnout Coninx, active 1579–1617
Gillis Coppens van Diest, active 1573–1609
Volcxken Diericx, active 1551–1600
Gaspard Fleysben, active 1588
Widow of John Fowler, active 1579–1586; moved to Douai, active 1586–1602
Philip Galle, active 1564–1612
Jan (III) van Ghelen, active 1577–1598; moved to Maastricht, active 1598–1605; moved to Rotterdam, active 1606–1610
Joannes Grapheus, active 1520–1569
Claes de Grave, active 1511–1540
Michiel Hillen van Hoochstraten, c. 1476–1558
Marten Huyssens, active 1582–1620
Guislain Janssens, active 1587–1619
Cornelis De Jode, active 1591–1600
Gerard de Jode, active 1547–1591
Jan van Keerbergen, active 1586–1624
Merten de Keyser / Martin Lempereur, active 1525–1536
Widow of Merten de Keyser, active 1536–1541
Widow of Peter van Keerbergen, active 1592–1594
Willem Lesteens, active 1612–1654
Mynken Liefrink, active 1567–1593
Hans van Liesvelt, active 1545–1564
Jacob van Liesvelt, active 1513–1544
Widow of Jacob van Liesvelt, active 1546–1566
Herman Mersman, active 1572–1591
Jacob Mesens, active 1592–1625
Mattheus Mesens, active 1581–1595
Gauthier Morberius, active 1553–1555; moved to Liège, active 1558–1595
Jan Moretus, active 1589–1610
François de Nus, active 1592–1593
Martinus Nutius, father, son and grandson, active 1540–1638
Philippus Nutius (printer), active 1564—1586
Abraham Ortelius, active 1547–1598
Widow of Willem van Parijs, active 1586–1595
Petrus Phalesius the Elder, active 1581–1629
Christopher Plantin, active 1548–1589
Guillaume Rivière, active 1575–1584; moved to Arras, active 1591–1627
Gerard Rivius, active 1598; moved to Leuven, active 1598–1625
Mattheus van Roye, active 1560–1591
Thomas Ruault, active 1591–1592
Anthonis Spierinckx, active 1584–1616
Gillis Steelsius, active 1570–1610
Pauwels Stroobant, active 1596–1617
Willem Stroobant, active 1592–1595 and 1610–1617; moved to Lille, active 1596–1598
Gommarus Sulsenius, active 1594–1625
Hendrik Swingen, active 1587–1601
Ameet Tavernier, active 1583–1593
Artus Tavernier, active 1580; moved to Salamanca, active 1604–1615
Antheunis Thielens, active 1564–1596
Peter van Tongheren, active 1580–1602
Caesar Joachim Trognaesius, active 1624–1645
Joachim Trognaesius, active 1583–1620
Hieronymus Verdussen, active 1579–1635
Abraham Verhoeven, active 1605–1632
Daniel Vervliet, active 1564–1610
Widow of Jan Verwithagen, active 1588–1592
Jan Verwithagen the younger, active 1588–1599
Willem Vorsterman, active 1504–1542
Jan Baptist Vrients, active 1575–1611
Gerard van Wolschaten, active 1596–1634
Hendrik Wouters, active 1571–1592

Ath

Joannes Masius le jeune, active 1590–1622

Bruges

Nicolaes Breyghel, active 1624–1663
Hubrecht Croock, active 1520–1554
Widow of Hubrecht Croock (Catharina de Bondue), active 1554–1557
Anthonis Janssuene, active 1584–1619

Brussels

Hubert Anthoon, active 1598–1630
Widow of Michiel van Hamont, active 1585–1587
Pierre de La Tombe, active 1558–1595
Jan Mommaert, active 1585–1627
Jean Pepermans, active 1620–1633
Robrecht Phalesius, active 1577–1595
Jan Reyns, active 1598–1609
Pieter Simons, active 1598–1610
Jean Thimon, active 1573–1609
Rutger Velpius, active 1585–1614

Douai

Balthazar Bellerus, active 1590–1634
Jean Bogard, active 1572–1627
John Fowler, active 1577–1578^[1]
Widow of John Fowler, active 1586–1602
John Heigham, active 1603–1613; moved to St Omer, active 1613–1634
Laurence Kellam, active 1604–1613
John Lion, active 1580–1603

Ghent

Joos vanden Kerckhove, active 1595–1604
Gauthier Manilius, active 1574–1626
Jan van Salensen, active 1580–1623
Jan van den Steene, active 1576–1625
Joos vander Straeten, active 1606–1610

Kortrijk

Joos vander Straeten, active 1592–1606; moved to Ghent, active 1606–1610

Leuven

Joannes Bogardus, active 1556–1567; moved to Douai, active 1572–1627
Franciscus Fabri, active 1590–1605
John Fowler, active 1565–1574; moved to Douai, active 1577–1578^[2]
Jacob Heyberghs, active 1567–1596
Laurence Kellam, active 1597–1600; moved to Valenciennes, active 1601–1603; moved to Douai, active 1604–1613
John Lion, active 1579–1580; moved to Douai, active 1580–1603
Joannes Masius the elder, active 1567–1616
Pierre Phalèse the Elder, active 1545–1575
Pierre Phalèse the Younger, active 1570–1578; moved to Antwerp, active 1581–1629
Gerard Rivius, active 1598–1625
Andreas Sassenus, active 1557–1610
Servatius Sassenus, active 1557–1596
Rutger Velpius, active 1565–1580; moved to Mons, active 1580–1584; moved to Brussels, active 1585–1614
Nicolaes Wouters, active 1595–1598
Joannes Baptista Zangrius, active 1595–1599
Petrus Zangrius, active 1585–1610
Jacobus Zegers, active 1631–1644

Liège

Arnold de Corswarem, active 1598–1632
Jean de Glen, active 1597–1631
Jacques Grégoire, active 1595–1596
Pierre de Heer, active 1581–1594
Henricus Hovius, active 1567–1611
Nicolas Ingelbert, active 1587–1609
Lambert de La Coste, active 1589–1609
Gauthier Morberius, active 1558–1595
Jasper Ostreman, active 1594
Christian Ouwerx the elder, active 1581–1612
Gerard Rivius, active 1592–1597; moved to Antwerp, active 1598; moved to Leuven, active 1598–1625
Léonard Streel, active 1593–1653
Jean Voes, active 1590–1599
Widow of Jean Voes, active 1599–1601

Lier

Pieter Simons, active 1616–1617

Lille

Christophe Beys, active 1610–1645
Pierre de Rache, active 1612–1648
Pieter Simons, active 1589–1598; moved to Brussels, active 1598–1610
Willem Stroobant, active 1596–1598; moved to Antwerp, active 1610–1617
Antoine Tack, active 1594–1595

Luxembourg

Hubertus Reulandt, active 1618–1639; moved to Trier, active 1640–1661

Mechelen

Jan van Campenhout, active 1585–1643
Henry Jaye, active 1617–1639

Mons

Charles Michel, active 1579–1627
Rutger Velpius, active 1580–1584; moved to Brussels, active 1585–1614

Namur

François Vivien, active 1597–1628

St Omer

English College Press, 1607–1759
John Heigham, active 1613–1634

Tournai

Nicolas Laurent, active 1580–1617

Sources

Fernand Danchin, Les Imprimés lillois: Répertoire bibliographique de 1594 à 1815, vol. 1 (Lille, 1926)
Jules Houdoy, Les Imprimeurs lillois: Bibliographie des impressions lilloises, 1595–1700 (Paris, 1879; reprinted Geneva, 1971)
Frans M. A. Robben, Jan Poelman, boekverkoper en vertegenwoordiger van de firma Plantin-Moretus in Salamanca, 1579–1607 (Antwerp, 1994)
Anne Rouzet, Dictionnaire des imprimeurs, libraires et éditeurs des XVe et XVIe siècles dans les limites géographiques de la Belgique actuelle (Nieuwkoop, 1975). ISBN 978-90-6004-322-6.
Leon Voet, The Golden Compasses: The History of the House of Plantin-Moretus (2 vols., Amsterdam, London and New York, 1969–1972)
General Willems, Le Livre, l'estampe, l'édition en Brabant du XVe au XIXe siècle (Gembloux, 1935)