How did roman type spread through western Europe after its development in Italy?

The development of roman type was driven by the Humanist movement in Italy, which sought a more legible and classical alternative to the dense, spiky black letter (Gothic) type used in early printing.12

After its initial refinement by printers such as Nicolas Jenson and Aldus Manutius in Venice, roman type spread rapidly throughout western Europe. Its adoption was largely fueled by the popularity of the Aldine editions—compact, affordable, and scholarly "pocketbooks" that were widely sought after and frequently pirated by printers across the continent.134

While roman type became the standard for book typography elsewhere, its spread was notably limited in Germany. Due to the influence of the Reformation and a strong cultural attachment to Gothic scripts, Germany maintained the use of black letter as a national typeface until the 20th century. In other regions, printers often used roman for Humanist texts while continuing to employ black letter for ecclesiastical or legal works, reflecting a transitional period in European printing history.12