Printing is the process by which text and pictures are reproduced, usually by ink on paper, but any number of dyes or materials can be used. The books, magazines and newspapers we read, the photos and pictures we look at, as well as a lot of the textiles we use for clothes and decorations, all depend on some type of printing process.
Originally, printing was carried out using carved blocks with words and pictures, and then movable printing blocks which enabled printers to change the letters around to produce new combinations of words and sentences. The printing press was invented in 1440 in Germany and revolutionised the printing industry by enabling the printing of large batches of pages. The inventor, Gutenberg, also developed a special oil based printers’ ink for use with the press.
Today, there are a large number of technologies available for printing on different materials. Offset printing is used to produce publications such as books and newspapers, flexography is used for packaging and labels, while screen printing methods are used in the manufacture of many products from T-shirts to floor tiles. Inkjet printing is used for small scale productions of books or packaging, and laser printing mainly used in offices and homes for printing documents, and correspondence.
Originally, printing was carried out using carved blocks with words and pictures, and then movable printing blocks which enabled printers to change the letters around to produce new combinations of words and sentences. The printing press was invented in 1440 in Germany and revolutionised the printing industry by enabling the printing of large batches of pages. The inventor, Gutenberg, also developed a special oil based printers’ ink for use with the press.
Today, there are a large number of technologies available for printing on different materials. Offset printing is used to produce publications such as books and newspapers, flexography is used for packaging and labels, while screen printing methods are used in the manufacture of many products from T-shirts to floor tiles. Inkjet printing is used for small scale productions of books or packaging, and laser printing mainly used in offices and homes for printing documents, and correspondence.