MCM101 Lesson 18

LESSON 18: INDUSTRIALIZATION OF PRINT PROCESSES

1. What was the original method of printing called?
   The original method was block printing, also called xylography.
2. Who invented the use of movable type in China and when?
   Bi Sheng invented the use of movable type in China in 1041 A.D.
3. What two materials did Gutenberg use that were crucial to his printing process?
   Gutenberg used an oil-based ink and “rag” paper.
4. What are books produced between Gutenberg’s work and the year 1500 called?
   They are collectively called incunabula.
5. Who invented the steam-powered press and when?
   Friedrich Gottlob Koenig and Andreas Friedrich Bauer invented the steam-powered press in 1812.
6. What is ‘lithography’?
   Lithography is a printing technology based on the principle that oil and water do not mix, where an image is created on a plate and then transferred to paper.
7. Who is credited with creating the first lithographic offset printing press for paper?
   Ira Washington Rubel is most likely credited with first using an offset press to print on paper around 1903.
8. What does DTP stand for and what is its function?
   DTP stands for Desktop Publishing. It provides complete page design capabilities, allowing for the layout of text and graphics into documents.
9. Explain why Gutenberg’s skills as a goldsmith were crucial for his invention.
   His knowledge of metals learned as a craftsman was crucial for creating the durable metal type and mechanical parts required for the printing press.
10. Explain the impact of the printing press on the production speed of books like the Bible.
    While a scribe might take a year to hand-copy a Bible, the Gutenberg press could create several hundred copies a year with a small team.
11. How did the steam-powered press differ from Gutenberg’s press?
    The steam-powered press used mechanical power to achieve much higher speeds (tens of thousands of copies per day), whereas Gutenberg’s press was manually operated and much slower.
12. Explain the basic principle of lithography.
    Lithography is based on the repulsion of oil and water. A plate is treated so that image areas accept ink (oil-based) and non-image areas accept water, repelling the ink.
13. How did the offset printing process improve upon direct litho printing?
    Offset printing transfers the inked image from a plate to a rubber blanket first, then to the paper. This protects the plate, allows for use on various surfaces, and produces a sharper image because the soft blanket conforms to the paper texture.
14. Explain one advantage of desktop publishing (DTP) over traditional typesetting.
    DTP allows for complete page design flexibility on a computer, including integrating text and graphics easily, using various fonts and layouts, which can then be output via laser printers or image setters.
15. Why was there resistance to printed books from some nobles and in the Islamic world?
    Nobles valued their hand-copied manuscripts and saw printed books as sullying them. In the Islamic world, calligraphic traditions were extremely important, and print was sometimes resisted for this reason.
16. How did the ‘rotary press’ further industrialize printing?
    Invented by Richard M. Hoe, the rotary press used a revolving cylinder, allowing for millions of copies of a page in a single day, which was a massive increase in speed and efficiency for mass production.
17. A printer in the 1820s is considering upgrading to a steam-powered press. Based on the lesson, what is one key business advantage?
    The steam-powered press would allow them to produce newspapers or books at a much faster rate (tens of thousands of copies per day), meeting the growing mass demand and increasing profitability.
18. Analyze the following scenario: A company needs to print a short run of high-quality brochures on textured paper. Based on the lesson, which printing method would be most suitable and why?
    Offset lithography would be suitable because it is effective for short runs and can print on a wide range of surfaces, including textured paper, while maintaining high image quality.
19. A graphic designer in the 1990s is using a DTP program like PageMaker. Based on the lesson, what is one task they can do that was difficult with traditional methods?
    They can easily flow text around graphic objects in a variety of ways, creating complex layouts that would be very time-consuming and difficult to achieve with manual paste-up or typesetting.
20. Based on the lesson, why did the widespread use of movable type have a greater impact in Europe than in China?
    Because European languages use alphabets with a limited number of characters, making movable type practical and efficient. Chinese has thousands of characters, making the system less advantageous compared to block printing.
21. Apply your knowledge: How did the transition from hand-copying to printing represent a shift from ‘craft’ to ‘industry’?
    Hand-copying was a skilled craft performed by individuals (scribes) creating unique items. Printing introduced mechanization, standardization, and mass production, turning document creation into an industry with divided labor and higher output.
22. Why is the original Gutenberg press considered a “testament to its effectiveness”?
    Because its basic design remained largely unchanged for nearly 400 years until the industrial revolution, indicating that it was a highly effective and durable technology for its purpose.
23. A modern publisher is deciding between offset printing and digital printing for a book. Based on the lesson, what might be a key consideration for a large print run?
    For a very high volume, offset printing would be more cost-effective due to its superior speed and efficiency in mass production, as digital presses are noted for not yet competing with the sheer volume of offset.
24. If you were to explain the concept of ‘photo offset’ to a student, what would you say?
    In photo offset, the document is first recorded on film negatives. These negatives are then used to expose a photomechanical printing plate. A chemical reaction on the plate creates an ink-receptive image, which is then transferred via a rubber blanket to the paper.
25. Based on the lesson, what was one major social consequence of the industrialization of printing?
    It led to the mass production and dissemination of printed works, which standardized languages, spread scientific and political ideas, increased literacy, and was a key factor in revolutions and the creation of modern nations.