Printing Press 101: History And Usage

Printing is the manner of leaving an image on a canvass through ink. It can be done in so many ways as long as the image or message has been applied on the medium. Printing has developed much through technological advancements. Printing Press has been part of such development in printing history.

Printing Press is a device used to apply pressure to a surface on a medium such as paper. The surface to which the pressure is applied is filled with ink. The ink will then be transferred to the medium with the image or portrait on the surface. It is usually used in printing texts.

This printing process has been developed as early as 1440 during the reign of the Holy Roman Empire. A German goldsmith named Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press based upon the existing screw presses.

In its original (classical) form, a printing press stands f5 to 7-feet long, 3-feet wide, and 7 feet tall. A frame is placed with type which is arranged accordingly into pages forming specific form and then placed to a bed (a flat stone during the early printing times). The type is inked and the paper is placed in between two frames. The two frames are folded down putting the paper on the surface of the inked type. The bed is rolled under a platen (a flat metal plate pressed against the medium to cause an impression) and is pressed through a screw that transmits pressure through the platen.

This form of printing technology has been taken into the next level with the incorporation of metal and crew technology which has also evolved during the industrial revolution. The printing efficiency has gradually improved. These developments have taken over the printing industry for the whole era increasing production and time consumption.

Two branch ideas have changed the course for printing press “radically”: the use of steam power in using the machine and the replacement of flatbed with cylinders where the type is placed. Later in history, both of these ideas were incorporated creating a more advanced version of the printing press.

There were even more advancements in the course of the 19^th century  where in small presses called jobbing presses. It is capable of accommodating small-format materials such as letterheads, business cards and etc.

Efficiency developed even more in the years to pass. In 1864, hoe’s 6-cylinder rotary printing press was released. In 1905, the Miehle also was released and in the 1930’s the Platen Printing press was released with a capacity to impress 2,500 to 3,000 times per hour.

Nevertheless, all these technological advancement in the Printing press industry did only answer the need for mass production. With more impression capacity, more output can be produced. The invention of the printing press technology was mainly to increase efficiency and by efficiency, I mean output number, time consumption and print quality.

Even today, Printing press is still in use with great advancement already from its classical and 19^th century form. It often used to produce flyers, poster, and etc.