lluminated capitals bring a printed page to life. The skill of the ancients combined to draw the reader into the manuscript in an irresistable way.
Modern digital equipment makes it easy to replicate the style if not the hand crafted brilliance of those monastic trend-setting creators. The words had better be impressive after such a triumphal beginning to the page, or is it the case that if the eye is fed, the whole being is nourished and we don’t really need to read the whole thing?
Long live illuminated capitals and their modern equivalents. Long live illuminated manuscripts where care is taken to provide the reader with every incentive to read on and enjoy the experience! Let’s take time to value our readers and engage them visually to aid their engagement with the words.