Printing is the process of applying a certain quantity of colouring agent under pressure to a surface such as paper or fabric. It is also the name of a particular technique for reproducing texts and illustrations, which was traditionally carried out with ink on paper, but is now often done digitally.
The invention of movable type in China revolutionised printing, as it enabled each character to be moulded quickly and easily and printed as needed. This allowed text to be printed in much larger quantities and on a wider range of materials than previously possible, thereby opening the door for new forms of publishing. It also helped to make scholarly work more widely available and led to the development of page numbers, tables of contents and indices. It can be argued that it also changed the way in which books were read, from oral readings to silent, individual, private reading and consequently raised literacy levels.
In the early days of printing, a variety of different techniques were used for printing and many still are today. The most common is ink on paper, which can be used to create a variety of documents, from essays and dissertations to posters and business cards. However, for a much more personal touch it is possible to print on fabrics, using a process called screen printing. This involves transferring an image onto the fabric using a mesh screen and ink, creating a stencil that can then be used to create a print on a wide range of surfaces, including paper and fabric.