Abi Beckram: Notes on the origins and developments of publishing/printing

The oldest examples of writing are in clay or stone, for example ‘The Babylonian clay tablet’ such as the ancient Sumerians
Printing was invented in China in the 6th century in the form of ‘block printing’

The Chinese invented movable type in 11C but didn’t exploit it
Prior to the printing press, ‘Incunabula’ was the process of typography produced by scribes, and often featured ‘illuminations’
Mass printing became in use in Europe thanks to Johannes Gutenberg in Germany, who created the first mass produced bible (the Gutenberg Bible)
Gutenbergs’ achievement was not a single invention, but a whole process involving moveable metal type, ink, paper and press
Printing in europe was inherently a result of the renaissance; the centreplace for challenging the past and searching for new ideas
Improved literacy in the 15thC; although the market for books was small, literacy grew beyond the clergy and reached the emerging middle classes

Due to their roots in Judaism, the Christians retained the jewish scriptures and added writings of their own, creating the new testament; the christians had a strong need for preservation of these words on durable materials, so they started to use vellum
The church had always exercised censorship over written matter, especially through the universities in the late Middle Ages
It was enforced in 1543 that no book may be printed or sold without permission from the church

‘The mechanization of printing in the 19th century and its further development in the 20th, which went hand in hand with increasing literacy and rising standards of education, finally brought the printed word to its powerful position as a means of influencing minds and, hence, societies’
By the 19thc, as publishing grew, it transformed into an increasingly defined occupation; allowing the functions of the roles of the editor, director etc to come in use
Published matter falls into two categories; periodical and non periodical. (periodical being publications that are regular e.g weekly magazines and newspapers)
Books are the most distinguishable forms of non periodical matter, and are also considered the oldest types of publication and go back to the earliest civilisations
The article considers that books are not always lasting, but serve as a nations’ cultural storehouse; this is highlighted in the acts of past conquerors wishing to destroy peoples’ heritage such as the Spaniards in Mexico in 1520, and the Nazis in the 1930s.
Magazines and newspapers came into mass production not long after the printing press, and both initially served to provide quick information and regular entertainment
Magazines have branched out from their origins of ‘periodicals of amusement’ to catering for very niche, individual interests

Abi Beckram