How were books and newspapers printed before computers?
Posted on February 18, 2009 by admin
The process of creating a printed book or newspaper was quite different in the past. It was a laborious process in the beginning. A person would set individual letter blocks (type) into a frame to create the titles and sentences. A graphic print block would be added along side of the type for any pictorial images.
The surface of the blocks would be inked and then applied to a paper surface with sufficient pressure to transfer the image. The process is called Type Setting and Letterpress Printing.
The birth of letterpress printing in Europe came in the 15th century. Although printing with wood blocks has deeper roots in the Far East, Johannes Gutenberg developed “reusable movable type”, the basic principle that was used well into the 20th century. The invention of movable type allowed Gutenberg to print the first historic 42-line Bible in 1455. This was the first Western mass-produced book, also known as the Gutenberg_Bible.
Letterpress printing became the method of choice, and for the next four hundred years continued to evolve until the introduction of the linotype machine in the late 19th century. Linotype machines soon replaced letterpress as the primary printing method.
Letterpress printing today is thriving with a great number of individuals personally dedicated to the preservation of this historic art form. Visit some of the links and you can see some of the important people maintaining this art-from, hopefully for generations or even centuries to come!
The surface of the blocks would be inked and then applied to a paper surface with sufficient pressure to transfer the image. The process is called Type Setting and Letterpress Printing.
The birth of letterpress printing in Europe came in the 15th century. Although printing with wood blocks has deeper roots in the Far East, Johannes Gutenberg developed “reusable movable type”, the basic principle that was used well into the 20th century. The invention of movable type allowed Gutenberg to print the first historic 42-line Bible in 1455. This was the first Western mass-produced book, also known as the Gutenberg_Bible.Letterpress printing became the method of choice, and for the next four hundred years continued to evolve until the introduction of the linotype machine in the late 19th century. Linotype machines soon replaced letterpress as the primary printing method.
Letterpress printing today is thriving with a great number of individuals personally dedicated to the preservation of this historic art form. Visit some of the links and you can see some of the important people maintaining this art-from, hopefully for generations or even centuries to come!
