For five centuries, printing has dominated the transmission of information and knowledge. While competing technologies, such as television and radio, have made printing increasingly popular, it has also played an important role in the development of other media. In addition to books, it has also been used for packaging, textiles, and the manufacture of miniature electronic circuits. Regardless of how these new technologies are used, printing will remain an important tool for people to access and share information.
The publishing industry relies on many techniques to promote and sell their products, including social media campaigns, offline ads, author appearances, and print advertising. In addition to printing, publishers handle inventory, warehousing, and distribution of finished products. In many cases, this distribution occurs at retail stores. In addition to printing, other processes are involved in publishing, including editing, design, marketing, sales, and public relations. In short, printing is just one part of the publishing process.
As early as the 15th century, printing began to spread throughout Europe. Although it was developed in Europe, the principle had been practiced in the Orient for several centuries before then. European writing, which used a limited number of abstract symbols, simplified the manufacturing process of movable type. While Chinese handwriting requires 80,000 symbols, it lends itself poorly to typography. So, the printing process was able to spread the gospels across the world.