Printing is the process of putting words or images on paper using ink. This can be done in black and white or in color. It is an important part of large-scale publishing and transaction printing, but it can also be used to make a single copy or a small number of copies of a document.
In a digital world, we sometimes need to print things—application forms, quiz sheets, training materials, wedding speeches. The following articles show you how to do this on your Mac.
The first printed material was probably a religious text, such as the Bible. The invention of movable type allowed books to be printed in many different languages. However, the technology was not universally accepted. Some people, particularly in the Islamic world, resisted the use of printed books because they would sully their valuable hand-copied manuscripts. Others, like the Roman Curia, even considered making a licensing requirement for printers to prevent ‘wrong’ content being printed.
The quality of a printed item is dependent on the fabric used. A high-quality, bright white cotton fabric with a tight weave produces the best results. This is especially true if the cotton fabric is pre-treated with a stain-resistant agent. The ink used to print is another factor influencing the quality of the final result. Modern inks are a mixture of dye and pigment, which provides excellent stability and durability. It is still possible to produce a high-quality print from a photographic negative or positive, but these prints are usually used for decorative purposes.