The Oxford Library hired me to create short award videos for their winners of the Bodleian prize. I got the chance to spend a few unique hours with John Warnock. John was an original thinker for whom there was no “in the box” thinking. I never forgot him and hope that those who enjoy his thinking appreciate this short film.
Warnock was one of the co-founders of Adobe. He played a crucial role in shaping the company's direction and technological innovations. Adobe's most significant early contribution was the development of PostScript, a page description language that revolutionized desktop publishing by allowing printers to print text and images exactly as they appeared on the screen. This innovation was unique at the time because it enabled high-quality graphic design and typography on personal computers, leading to the desktop publishing revolution of the 1980s.
Warnock was also an avid collector of rare and old books. He had a deep interest in the history of printing and typography, which influenced some of Adobe's products and innovations. His collection focused on early printed works and the evolution of bookmaking, which reflects his passion for both technology and the history of written communication. His personal interest in books was intertwined with Adobe's mission to improve the way people work with text and graphics.
John Warnock had a deep fascination with the history of printing, and his collection of rare and old books reflected this passion. He collected books that were significant in the development of printing and typography, focusing on early printed works, manuscripts, and works that explored the evolution of written communication.
He was fascinated by Incunabula, books printed before 1501 during the early stages of the printing press's history. These works were highly influential in shaping typography and print culture.
And by works of Renaissance and Enlightenment Thinkers: Books from this period, when printing technology had expanded significantly, were of interest to those passionate about how information dissemination shaped culture and science.
Warnock collected books that highlighted historical typography and the use of typefaces in early printed books. This includes works by early typographers like Aldus Manutius and later figures who innovated in type design.
Warnock’s interest in the history of printing and typography had a profound influence on Adobe’s products, particularly those related to desktop publishing and printing. Here’s how his passion for old books influenced his technological innovations:
The creation of PostScript was driven by Warnock's desire to give users complete control over text and layout. His understanding of early printed works’ attention to detail in typography informed this goal, allowing PostScript to handle fonts and layouts with precision.
Adobe’s development of Type 1 fonts and their commitment to scalable, high-quality digital typography can be directly tied to Warnock's appreciation for the elegance of typefaces in historical books. Adobe's early focus on making fonts as refined as those used in traditional book printing helped ensure professional quality in digital publishing.
The development of the PDF format reflected Warnock's desire for documents to retain their integrity across platforms and over time, much like how old printed books have preserved their content for centuries. His understanding of how books have historically been designed to last influenced this effort to create digital documents with the same permanence.
Adobe's early products focused on printing and desktop publishing, with PostScript being the foundation for many of these innovations.
Adobe’s first and most revolutionary product, PostScript is a page description language that enabled precise control over how text and graphics were printed on paper. It became the standard for professional printing and desktop publishing.
Adobe’s first major application, Illustrator was designed as a vector-based drawing program. It allowed users to create complex illustrations and typography for print and was heavily used by graphic designers.
Alongside PostScript, Adobe developed Type 1 font technology, a high-quality scalable font format designed for professional printing and typesetting.
Although primarily an image editing program, Photoshop became integral in the print industry for processing photos and images before sending them to print.
Adobe developed the Portable Document Format (PDF) to ensure that documents looked the same across all platforms and could be printed with high fidelity, regardless of the device used to view them.