Imprimerie Royale

French printing establishment

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June 29, 2026

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The Imprimerie Royale was a French state printing establishment founded in 1640 by Cardinal de Richelieu under King Louis XIII. It was intended to set a standard of excellence for book production in France.1

A significant development associated with the Imprimerie Royale was the creation of the Romain du Roi typeface. Commissioned in 1692 by King Louis XIV, this typeface was designed using mathematical principles by a committee of the Academy of Sciences and cut by Philippe Grandjean. It was intended for the exclusive use of the royal printer and became highly influential, with many French designers imitating its style.23

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typography
The middle years
…Cardinal de Richelieu, established the Imprimerie Royale at the Louvre. In 1692 Louis XIV ordered the creation of a commission charged with developing the design of a new type to be composed of letters arrived at on “scientific” principles. The commission, whose deliberations were fully recorded, worked mathematically, drawing and…
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…Cardinal de Richelieu, established the Imprimerie Royale at the Louvre. In 1692 Louis XIV ordered the creation of a commission charged with developing the design of a new type to be composed of letters arrived at on “scientific” principles. The commission, whose deliberations were fully recorded, worked mathematically, drawing and…
Read More