Printing is simply making copies from a single template. The earliest known printing services started by China for cloth printing. After the invention of paper technology in China, woodblock printing started on paper. Further development in paper printing technology gave birth to scientific development in the world.
Today, the technology we are using evolved through many shapes and sizes. Some printing technologies are listed below:
The Woodblock Printing
In this technique, an engraved woodblock is used as a template to print images or text. This method was first originated in China. Chinese first started block printing or woodblock printing on cloth, but after discovering paper, the printing started on paper.
East Asia –
Printed fragments of woodblock printing were found from the era of the Han dynasty, and in the mid of 7th century, block printing on paper started. The first book (Diamond Sutra) was printed through woodblock printing in the 9th century. In the 10th century, nearly 400,000 copies of Sutras and pictures were printed and published. As Korea and Japan were neighbors of China, the woodblock printing technique reached there. Then this method spread to Russian and Persia, through Persia it transmitted to European countries.
Islamic world –
This technique was called Tarsh in Arabic. It seems that in Arabia, the blocks for block printing were made from tin, lead or clay. From the Islamic world, this technique spread to the European world. Islamic golden age gave immense rise to printing services. Muslims learned the paper-making method. They developed it and started to produce paper in their region, which led to printing and publishing numerous books during the golden era.
Europe – By 1300, the woodblock printing on cloth in Europe was in full swing, and by 1400, paper printing became common as the exerts started printing playing cards and small woodcut religious images on paper.
Movable-Type Printing
This printing type consists of various metal-made pieces of alphabets or characters, which can be used freely or combined. It is much more flexible than woodblock printing and handwritten printing services. Chinese invented this movable type of printing. Copper movable type printing was also invented there and is used for paper money printing. This practice from China spread to Korea. In 1230, Koreans developed movable printing to movable metal printing, and its first printed book was Jikji.
The Printing Press
Johannes Gutenberg first introduced the printing press in 1450. He made some advancements in casting type base, screw-press, and primary ink, resulting in a softer and absorbent paper—this printing press was movable, faster and resilient. The innovations of the printing press were the key machinery in printing history.
Rotary Printing Press
In 1843, Richard March Hoe invented this machinery. It consists of a cylinder that is engraved with text or images. The paper is passed through the cylinder to print the text or picture. William bullock did further improvement in this machinery.
Conventional Technology
There are four types of the conventional printing process, including:
- Planographic – This type of printing does not have raised surface. Instead, the surface is ink receptive. Both printing and non-printing areas are on the same surface. It includes offset lithography, collotype, and screenless printing.
- Relief Printing – In relief printing services, the printing areas are raised, and the non-printing areas remain to the original surface.
- Intaglio – It is the opposite of relief printing. Here, the printed areas are engraved below the surface.
- Porous – In this type, a porous mesh is used, which carries the image and ink to pass through the mesh.
Following are the conventional technology that uses old-fashioned methods in their process:
- Letterpress – It is an example of relief printing. In letterpress, the surface is elevated, and it is hard-pressed on the paper, resulting in a reverse image. Till the 15th-century, the letterpress technique was widely used.
- Offset – In this type, the inked image is first transferred to a rubber plate and then into the printing surface.
- Gravure printing – In gravure printing, the surface of the plate is filled with the ink, then we scraped the excess ink via a doctor blade. Then a rubber roller presses the plate on paper to print the image on paper. This process is an example of the intaglio technique.
- Flexography – Here, plates are made up of photopolymers.
Digital Printing
Digital printing is listed among the modern printing method, including inkjet and laser printing services. Here, images and text are sent directly to the digital technologies in the form of PDFs. Like other printing techniques, there aren’t any printing plates or rollers needed, like in lithography, and it takes less time and money.
3D Printing
In this type of printing, the printer uses computer-aided design (CAD) to create three-dimensional objects. With the help of fragile layers of material, a 3D object is printed. The 3-D printing technology is accurate and fast because what you envision in your mind comes to your hand. It’s a promising tool for the future of manufacturing and engineering.
