Introduction
The history and development of “the printing technology”
date back to the dynasty ages where “woodblock printing” created by the
Chinese, a technique used to print images, text and patterns to which the first full length text and illustrated
book was created known as the “Diamond Sutra”. (Jones
International and Jones Digital Century)
It is said that through many centuries of development of the
printing technology through wood block printing to movable type printing and
the invention of paper that the breakthrough in history would be the invention
of the “Gutenberg Printing Press” which is a moveable type printing press.
“The printing press is not a single
invention. It is the aggregation in one place, of technologies known for
centuries before Gutenberg”. (Castle Print & Design, 1992)
The first movable type
is known to be designed in china but was never widely used due to being wooden
type and the unevenness of the wood grain when soaked in ink. “Johannes
Gutenberg” who is known to have developed the “Gutenberg Printing Press”
experimented with Johann Fust and Peter Schöffer to print what is known as the
“Guttenberg Bible” which paved way for mass production in books, newspaper and
other reading materials. (Charles Sturt University)
The picture inset is
a timeline which shows the history of the evolution of the printing technology
which dates back to the 8th to the 20th century. Through
this timeline you can see processes of development from which they have taken
ideas from one person’s development and bettered it for the increase demand for
the ability to provide and send information to a far and large audience.
Many different techniques were since developed and tried,
where it lead to the improvements of the technology to which is known as the
“industrial printing age”. Designs such as the “Linotype machine” allowed for
easier and faster assembly of type lines for printing press.
Another milestone in this timeline is the 1950’s – 2000’s
where the digital printing was introduced where established companies try to
state their mark within the printing industry by “Hewlitt Packard” developing
the first laser printer to “Zink” creating an inkless printer.
All printing technology developments have led to what we
know as the “new age printing” with the development of computer technology and
introduction of smartphones which is in the process of eliminating the need for
printing machines.
With the new technology it allows us to access information
on a screen and provides various options with what we would like to do with
that message or information.
Social Impact
The impact printing technology has had on the society is
massive as it provided the world with literacy. It allowed for spread of
information to a large audience. The
invention of “Gutenberg’s Press” it allowed for mass production of books, paved
way for development in technologies we are using today. It allowed the society
to print their ideas and spread them fast and easy and at an affordable cost,
it allowed the society to get a message across the world. it created a new form
of social interaction due to the expense of a paper, some people could not
afford books or newspaper so would gather at local places where books and
newspaper were available and socialize and share knowledge.
During the time where education was not compulsory and only
for the wealthy, the development of the printing technology allowed for common
class people to gain access to literature and learn for themselves which gave
them opportunity to interact with a different class of people.
The same principle can be taken in today’s modern technology
with development of computer technology and the use of smartphone, it changes
the way society interacts with one another but needless to say without the
invention and development of the printing press we would not have access to
literacy and education.
Bibliography
Castle Print
& Design. (1992). The Printing Press and a Changing World.
Retrieved August 18, 2014, from Castle Print & Design:
http://www.castleprint.co.uk/printing_press_technology_1.html
Charles Sturt
University. (n.d.). The Printed Book. Retrieved August 16, 2014, from
Arts & Books:
http://www.csu.edu.au/faculty/arts/humss/art317/printing/printtech.htm
Jones
International and Jones Digital Century. (n.d.). Printing: History and
Development. Retrieved 08 16, 2014, from http://diamondsutra.inkol.com/pages/01.html
printcountry.com. (n.d.).
Retrieved 08 16, 2014, from
http://www.printcountry.com/infographics/printing-history-timeline.html
