Imprimerie Nationale

The Imprimerie nationale (French pronunciation: ​[ɛ̃pʁimʁi nasjɔnal]) is the official printing works of the French government, in succession to the Manufacture royale d'imprimerie founded by Cardinal Richelieu. Its Président-directeur général is Didier Trutt (since August 2009).

Succeeding the Imprimeurs du roi pour le Grec (royal Greek printers) created by François I in 1538 to publish literature, the Imprimerie royale was founded in 1640, by Louis XIII of France at the instigation of Cardinal Richelieu. Successive governments named it the Imprimerie de la République, then the Imprimerie impériale, the Imprimerie royale and finally the Imprimerie nationale.

The Imprimerie nationale has long been the exclusive printer for the state, until the law of 1994 which made it a limited company with the state as sole shareholder.

The Imprimerie nationale retains the collection of punches, a printing workshop and a printing historical library. It possesses also numerous resources for the history of European printing, such as original documents of the Didot family.

The French state-run printing firm carries on the official printing works of the Lebanese passports in addition to the French ones.

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