Why a registration mark can tell you who made the object

علامة التسجيل وصانع الطبعة

The crosshairs printers trim away are often the best clue we have. Each shop cut its own marks, and each cutter left a signature: a thicker stem, a slightly offset circle, a nick from a worn blade.

We photographed marks from twelve Beirut print shops that are still running and six that are not. The differences are small, but they repeat.

“The mark is the printer’s handwriting.”

Every edition on Super Extra Halawa carries its own mark on the certificate, linked to the exact production run.