After studying maths and physics at Glasgow University,[1] he became a founder member of Aberdeen People's Press (APP), which published a fortnightly alternative newspaper from 1973 until 1976.
[3] Marshall moved to France in 1981, and in 1989 began working with the Musée de l'imprimerie in Lyons, cataloguing its documentation and research library.
In 1991, he obtained a PhD in history from Pierre Mendès-France University (Grenoble)[6] for a study of the invention and commercialisation of the first second-generation phototypesetting machine, the Lumitype-Photon.
L'épopée graphique des paquebots de légende, 2013[12]), as well as for the Museum of the French Revolution (L'affiche en révolution[13]).
[14] He was in charge of the Book History Workshop (École de l’Institut d’histoire du livre) until 2009 and remained a member of its board until 2015.