Currently, in the times of digital media and data technology, the importance of print media is same as years before. May be it is the convenience of reading something anytime you want that makes the hardcopies remain more popular. Even in our offices where most of the company and data change are carried out straight through internet, stuff like laser tone cartridge and bulk ink are still very important part of office supplies. It seems like nothing is ever going to take the place of print media. While the usage of printing and print media seems to have no end even in the future, one assuredly gets thoughprovoking about the history of this media. Let us go back in time and trace back man's first prosperous print production endeavor.
Many historians trace the history back to Mesopotamian times of colse to 3000Bc but there are hardly any evidences to prove it. However first actual record is known to be of block prints used colse to 200Ad in China. Initially it was used to print on clothes. As the usage of paper became common colse to China and East Asia, the same technique was used on paper as well. Nearly two centuries later the Romans also used the same printing techniques on both papers and clothes. The earliest example of a faultless printed compilation along with illustrations is The Tiananmen scrolls. It was printed in China in 868 Ad. In Korea, the same block technique was supplementary enhanced by using metal rather than wood.
Later while the 9th and 10th century same technique was used in clay, wood, metal, stone and even glass in the Middle East. The Arabs and Egyptians used the technique to print prayer books and amulets. With the Arab invasion of Europe and Central Asia, this technique also travelled along. Yet in Europe also, it was used to print religious banners and scrolls mostly n fabric.
As this technique was taking over the world, the Chinese invented yet other technique in the 1040Ad. This was the portable object printing. The basic technique was still the block recipe but the components were assuredly movable. The very first example of book printed with this recipe is a Korean book, 'Jijki'. It required a lot of attempt in thoughprovoking the tablets around.
During 1843, a new technique was introduced by an American inventor, Richard March Hole. In this technique the image or text to be printed is rolled colse to a cylinder which is than pressed or rolled over the substrates. With few improvements done along time, his remained a very popular printing technique colse to the world.
Later, the offset printing was invented while 1875. The technique was initially advanced to print on tin but now has become the most common type of printing used for paper. Although it is good for large scale printing purposes, the growth in daily printing requirements lead to the development of most newest printing technique, the laser printing. It is quick and suitable and the tool is not too heavy or bulky. This is the technique home and office printers are based on.
