The word “printing” is a euphemism for copying and reproducing information. The original method, which involved printing on stone blocks, is no longer used for most print jobs. Despite this, there are several ways to reproduce an image. Digital printing has also made it possible to print anything from photographs to posters. The first step is to convert an electronic document to a standard format that can be printed on paper. In many cases, this means converting the file from a digital format to a raster format, or “bitmap”. In other words, to create a t-shirt or postcard, you need to convert the file to a common paper size before you print it.
The earliest examples of printing date back to the late thirteenth century. While printing was originally a tool to create copies of books, more recently, it has become a medium for reproducing texts and illustrations. Early printmaking methods used mechanical pressure and a material concept of a colouring agent. Whether you’re a student or an expert in printing, a book is always available to you, at a fraction of the price of a printed page.
The first printed book was Diderot’s encyclopaedia, which was published in 1636. Since then, printing has been instrumental in the growth, assimilation, and augmentation of knowledge, helping us understand the human condition, our own bodies, and other systems of knowledge. As a result, printing has contributed to the constant acceleration of change. From the industrial revolution to the scientific and technical revolutions, printing is an essential part of society.