Any company that relies on printed materials to make a living should know a history of printing. A printed product or brochure can be the difference between success and failure for any business, particularly in marketing or advertising. This is not a difficult task with the advent of the internet. There are many ways to print on a variety of surfaces. For Gloucester Printers, visit https://bizstationery.co.uk/services/print-shop/
Print has been used by mankind for thousands of years. The earliest evidence dates back to 3,500BC, when Sumerians marked documents with clay using cylinder seals. The modern history of print begins with movable-type printing. It was the first printing method used to create printed materials. A piece of paper would be placed on a block of wood and the ink was applied using a primitive squeegee. This evolved into various types of presses such as the plate and block type, where plates were pressed against the wooden blocks to create impressions on the paper.
This new technology brought with it a new issue: smudging. The text became unreadable as the ink smudged onto the image. The printing company would apply a small amount of oil to the plate in order to prevent it from rubbing away.
Ink was another problem with traditional printing. Historically, printing companies bought large quantities and sold them to customers in smaller amounts. Printers loaded the ink on wooden blocks that were then attached to the press by tiny screws. The ink would seep through the wooden blocks as more ink was applied. It would then smear on the page and be absorbed by paper.
William Caxton invented the printing press in 1476, and by 1500, newspapers had been printed. At this time, few people were illiterate and so the news was spread by town criers. A new invention was made early in the history of printing: the engraving presses. The engraving press was a new invention that allowed printing companies to print both sides of a page simultaneously, which resulted in enlarged prints.