International Print Day at Axiom Print
“What gunpowder did for war, the printing press has done for the mind.” – Wendell Phillips
International Print Day is an annual global celebration for all aspects of print and print marketing.
Have you ever imagined what our world would look like without books, beautiful writings, sentimental letters, literature, newspapers, magazines. Just imagine, where we would be if we didn’t have printing press. Indeed, the invention of the printing press drastically changed the way we explore the world. Only look around, and you will notice that our lives are bound to printing. We see it everywhere, we use it everyday, in short, printing is everywhere. The invention of the printing press revolutionized the course of our civilization!
Whenever talking about printing, firstly we come up with the most asked questions: How printing was invented and Who invented the printing press? Read on, you will discover so many fascinating facts, you probably haven’t heard before!
The Invention of Printing and the Printing Press
The history of the printing timeline dates back to ancient times, when people launched special writing systems for their languages more than five thousand years ago. Cuneiform is one of the oldest forms of writing. Cuneiform means “wedge-shaped,” because people used to write it using a reed stylus cut to make a wedge-shaped spot on a clay tablet. Sumerians in Mesopotamia created it in 3100 B.C.E. Surprisingly enough, in this way the Epic of Gilgamesh and other valuable historical writings came to light. But, the first people to formulate a process for manufacturing paper were the Chinese. This was about nineteen hundred years ago. By the eighth century this process had expanded to the Middle East, with a paper mill running in Baghdad in 794. Then, about four centuries later, in 1151, the first paper mill in Europe was running in Spain.
The precursor of the printing press is woodblock printing with its movable metal type. Historians believe that this kind of printing flourished in Tang China by the 7th century and expanded throughout East Asia for printing texts, books, and even images. By the early fifteenth century wood-block printing had reached Europe.
In Germany, around 1440 the Printing Revolution was marked by the invention of the first ever printing press metallic device. Invented by Johannes Gutenberg, a fifteenth-century professional goldsmith, inventor, and publisher, printing press machines improved on already existing machines through the use of these elements, along with movable metal type that allowed for the fast production of lead alloy type pieces. Gutenberg was the first to make type from an alloy of lead, tin, and antimony. It was vital for creating durable type that produced high-quality printed books. This method of copying books enabled a single printing press to provide 3,600 pages per day. By 1500, more than 1,000 Gutenberg presses distributed in Europe, and by 1600, they had generated over 200 million new books. This incredible invention not only made books affordable for the lower classes, but it helped to spread new ideas.
Types of Printing Press
It was in the late nineteenth century when several printing enthusiasts started modifying the printing press by inserting metal into the press instead of wood. Earl Stanhope was the first man to introduce iron printing hand press. That’s where the names comes from. The earliest surviving example of Stanhope Press is dated 1804. The advantage was that from an average of 200 sheets per hour on a wooden hand press it increased to around 250 sheets per hour with two men working the press.
Next comes the most idealistic printing machine of every romantic writer, that is the Typewriter. The first commercial typewriters appeared in 1874, but did not gain popularity among offices until 1880. Basically, a typewriter has an array of keys. Each one prints a single character, which reflects on paper by striking an inked ribbon selectively against the paper with a type element.
After the invention of the typewriter, various mechanical computing devices were developed which supported printing in this or that way. The demand for faster and higher speed led to the development of sophisticated new systems specifically for computer use. The first electronic printer was the EP-101, which was invented by Japanese company Epson and was released in 1968. After which, the printing industry was growing fast, and nowadays, we have the most advanced printing presses.
Printing Technology at Axiom Print
Contemporary printing technologies have made printing more affordable and uncomplicated than ever, whether we print thousands of custom brochures or a single copy of a paper. The industry has a special role in today’s competing digital age.
Today is a very special day for Los Angeles based Axiom Print. It’s been 10 years since we offer online printing services – labeling/packaging services, custom product packaging, event printing, sign making, and other customer-driven services. The printing machines and facilities that we operate at Axiom Print guarantee you to achieve the best high-quality print results. No matter what difficulties might appear.
Our product versatility and a team of professionals are dedicated to serving local businesses in Los Angeles and even Nationwide. We understand what it takes to build a brand, and we share our customers’ passion and excitement to provide the best appearance in product packaging and signage. Thank you for choosing Axiom Print!
Happy International Print Day to all printing communities!
Yours truly, Axiom Print
