Part 2: Industrial Printing
Our first History of Print: Part 1 delved into the origins of printing, as well as developments made throughout its early history. In this section, we will explore the next stage of printing’s history
After originating in the Middle East and Asia, printing continued to be developed throughout Europe. The most influential printing technology developed in Europe is the famed Gutenberg Press. While not being the first printing press to be created, the Gutenberg Press, invented in Germany in 1440 CE combined many printing innovations into one machine. It is because of this that this press allowed for the printing of brochures, pamphlets, and posters on a mass production scale.
The next great innovation in printing technology was the creation of a form of printing known as lithography, which transferred designs to paper using an etched stone. Lithography, invented in Germany in 1796 CE allowed for the printing and mass reproduction of artwork, advertising, and illustrated books, all in full color and great detail.
The next stage of printing is known as offset printing. Offset printing was invented in England in 1875 CE. This form of printing replaced the flat stone of lithography with an etched cylinder, which sped up print production times dramatically and allowing for the mass production of books, magazines, and newspapers. Offset printers are still used today to print these items in a similar way to the way they were printed almost 150 years ago.
Guest Post by: Noah
