Initial notes on publishing

What is publishing?

• Publishing is the dissemination for information 
• Editorial design is the layout and composition of type and image in the context of publishing
• The role of the graphic designer within publishing.
• Typography is important in editorial design 
• Stephen Fry: The machine that made us (printing press documentary)

Gutenberg printing press 

• Gutenberg printing press - the first workable printing press to create printed artifacts (15thC)
• The printing press made it much more about language and content
• Metal type, and how words were printed on pages; the relation between the evolution of typefaces and the complexity of how we print words on pages
• What is the impact of these events socially?
• 500 years ago - printing press 
• The invention made mass production of books possible 
• Allowed new ideas, theories or propaganda to be available in the age of the renaissance  
• Up to 1800 all printing presses require a piston and a means of transporting paper to press type down 
• Difference between Gutenberg and later printing presses; later ones are called ‘two pull press’, whereas Gutenbergs’ was a ‘one pull press’
• Gutenberg bible - first mass produced bible 
• Gutenbergs’ father was a merchant with goldsmiths ; giving him experience with metal work
• Before the printing press, everything was written 
• Scriptorium ; a scribes room; smaller rooms as they needed heat to write to keep their fingers warm 
• Scribes often featured messages after writing to communicate how hard it was to produce such bibles 
• Printing machine allowed no errors for mass copies 
• The printing press was favoured to provide new christian unity 
• He was an engineer about the technical things, and had the intellect to identify that there was a need for mass production of books 
• Wine presses; some speculate that Gutenbergs’ printing press was inspired by these 
• In the 14th C the plague caused a lack of money in Mainz; Gutenberg set sail to start somewhere new in Stratunberg 
• Venture capitalists were useful to Gutenberg as they were not focused on the afterlife, rather improving life on Earth; funded his invention 
• Gutenberg printed one page at a time 
• John Man ‘The Gutenberg Revolution’
• The printing press allowed to print out mirrors to show relics to pilgrims 
• Pilgrimages were stopped due to the plague 
• Gutnebergs’ partner died from the plague 
• Gutenbergs’ workshop was next to water due to his use of heat 
• Went to the guild of goldsmiths and found the foundations of his printing press 
• At least 270 characters; predicted over a year to make each letter 
• It’s believed that Gutenberg used a type mold that consisted of two halves to create letters where the hollow part is; allowed mass production of identical typefaces 
• By the late 1440’s Gutenberg left Stratunberg back to Mainz
• He gained church support after showing samples before printing the bible 
• Planned a print run of 180; initially wanted to print of leather, but it wasn’t financially viable 
• Chinese made paper before Europe 
• Paper was made from a pulp of fabric rags 
• Paper was extremely valuable in the Medieval period 
• Gutenberg did the black and white, and then an illuminist did the decoration with colour after 
• 1454 - the Gutenberg bible went on show in Frankfurt 
• He used abbreviations to create a clean margin 
• Soon after Gutenberg printed the bible, he was asked for the money it cost back, yet he didn’t have the cash so had to give back all of his equipment 
• Gutenbergs’ printing press kick started the renaissance 
• Metal type was used up until the mid 20th century
• Publishing became more about spreading political information; caused controversy within christianity/ religion 
• The printing press allowed the mass production of people’s voices 
• Had a huge impact on literacy; became the means of how info was distributed; made it easier for people to learn to read
• The manipulation of the type was very much restricted by the technology and conventions of the writing; blackletter was created/styled for the form of writing at that time (quill pens)
• The type setting was in two columns to create a design identical to past bibles 
• There were rules and inventions of how to create a typesetting as it wasn’t a time for creativity and expression 

Newspapers 

• Came into existence almost as fast as the book, aided by the printing press 
• Editions of newspapers were published regularly and contained info of current happenings 
• In the 16th C pamphlets and leaflets spread news info ; challenging authority of the church 
• First newspaper ‘relation’ German in blackletter 1609
• In the 17th C these artifacts became known as news papers
• Design began to come about but was restricted by conventions and technology; ornamental faces and different type weights 
• Still printed on rags 
• Early newspaper content was often sensational, propagandist or heavily censored by governments
• Newspapers were produced using manual presses until the early 1800s when steam driven presses in the industrial revolution were used; the Times in London were one of the first who used this process  
• Type was set by hand with individual letters initially 
• Cylinder press
• Importance of columns exist and how many words you can use per line; plays into legibility 
• Wood pulp paper and more economic printing methods made them more appealing to a wider audience 

Magazines 

• Magazines emerged around the same time as newspapers but dealt with different forms of info 
• Content was much more leisurely 
• Many early magazines contained philosophical, political and literary discussions; very much upper class audience 
• Evolved later into general interest (periodicals of amusements) 
• In mid 18th C general interest magazines emerged that specifically targeted male of female readers ‘ladies’ magazine’ 1770 - not in blackletter / more roman faces (times new roman)
• Times new roman ; taken from carvings of Latin 
• The Ladies Mercury (late 18thC)
• The Gentlemans’ Magazine ; more political focus 
• In the late 19thC and early 20thC newspapers and magazines proved to be excellent media for commercial messages - advertisement 

The last use of metal type

• David Loeb Weiss - a proofreader for the times 
• The New York Times -1978 (last day of an age old printing)
• Headlines used to be set by hand 
• Set in ‘composing sticks’
• Computerised ‘cold type’ photographic technology 
• Linotype Invented in 19th C; made mass education possible / lasted 100 years
• Space wedges create the neat columns 
• 14 lines a minute; as much as pre computerised type could go; ended up being 1000 lines per minute with computerised printing 

The end of print?

• Many people think that the print industry has been in decline since the web has been established as the new media, however this process began with TV.
• Some print titles have closed print operation, yet some have created a coexistence with print and digital e.g. the guardian 
• General interest and specialist mens/womens magazines have struggled under the changing economy of publishing 
• Independent magazines on the other hand, have flourished; heavily designed artifacts that embrace aesthetic products 
• Delayed Gratification 
• The Happy Reader 
• Print is dead? A discussion for the future of print
• Sustainability might play a role ; environmental impact of printing