Technology in Printing - Report Example

University Name Department Technology in Printing Student name & Admission number Date of Submission Introduction Johannes Gutenberg’s innovation is the revolution that is attributed to the development of the technology of printing and is broadly believed to be the origin of mass communication. The invention primarily availed the workable means of disseminating ideas and information from a solitary source to a wider range of audience (Adrian, 2002). A closer glance at the history and development of print, though, reveals that the invention of the technology of printing depended on the convergence of two forces, namely, cultural and technological which was being transformed for a number of years. Print technology and culture also required to be transformed from years of change after Gutenberg’s discovery prior to the “massification” of users could completely shape up (Banks, 2006). The tale about print is a long one and very complex. It is unbelievable to believe that print was the solitary source of substantial changes in social, psychological and political arenas. Nonetheless, print did exert immense effect on each feature of European culture. A number of historians believe that print was fundamental in bringing on entire major changes in politics, science among other disciplines along with the modes of thinking that are usually linked with contemporary Western culture. The revolution attributed to the development of the technology of printing The technological issue linked with the revolution of the technology in printing is organized in a several cluster roots; i) China: The Technological Roots – which entails the use of paper, paper’s migration to Europe and use of ideological alphabet. ii) Gutenberg and the chronological moment in Western Europe – this incorporated a number of things, which ranged from: scribal hand-copying, church leniencies, movable metal type, Gutenberg Bibles, the Protestant Reformation. iii) Print and contemporary thought – this sought printing innovation primarily on scientific thinking, the scientific community, the rise of intellectual class, transformation (ranging from oral, written to print cultures), and privacy and personal rights. iv) Print in the United States – initially started as colonial press at Cambridge, then as penny press which was believed to be news for all (Gunkel, 2003). v) Advances in print technology – this entailed the innovations in modern print culture. The discovery of the technology in printing was based on the discovery and refinement of paper in China over a number of years. Chinese had come up with a paper rag that replaced bamboo strips and silk paper which was developed earlier by prisoners. Later on, the Chinese prisoners passed on an established technology to the captors who were of Arab origin at around the 18th century. The same technology was exposed to Europeans in early centuries and was similar techniques that Chinese had revealed to their captors (Arabs). Prior to the Gutenberg press, the invention of China people in ink, block printing and portable clay category all fed the technological move toward expanding the variety of effects on written words. Even though the European inventions surfaced later on, it indeed felt the influence of print much more that Chinese had experienced. Since their alphabet used were in thousands of visually specific ideograms, and the utilization of changeable category was very involving for the China people. As a result, the print revolution in European employed chronological, linear along with homogeneous character of the printed words and was termed to be the most successful, since it favored both the speed and immense change. The speedy cultural change in various parts of Western Europe stimulated a rising need for the swift and low-priced production of written manuscripts. This fueled by then Johannes Gutenberg who was by then a factory owner in mining at Mainz town of Southern Germany source for funds to develop technology. It was at this moment in history, rag paper was employed to carry written text replacing animal skin and parchment. This led to spread of rag paper in carrying a written manuscript which turned out to be cheap and plentiful and expanded literacy level in the region (Gunkel, 2003). The church on the other hand had adopted early on way on safeguarding the sacred texts for many years, but secular world initiated its own version. Gutenberg devised his press which combined a number of elements of existing technologies, textile, papermaking as well as wine presses. His most invention came when he casted letters on changeable metal type. This led to spread of printed leniencies that were utilized in churches, for example the printed copies of theses from Martin Luther were easily dispersed. In late 1400s, one of the creative translators known as Caxton established a printing press which helped to spread part of his popular literature in England. Being of the passionate editor, Caxton was determined and made sure that diction and correct spelling in his printed texts prevailed. His contribution to editing and printing earned him recognition allover for regulating English Language. Print and contemporary thought The culture of printing was embodied in entire forms of printed text. One of the renowned expert in the field of printing, Elizabeth Eisenstein differentiated print culture with had commonly been circulated in Europe after the invention of Western printing press- and early on used in China where bamboo strips were used in printing to scribe culture. The other scholar who also had immense contribution in written which incorporated both scribal and oral culture was Walter Ong. The views of these two scholars brought a substantial rise in literacy through printing, leading to great rise of written culture compared to oral culture. The scientific revolution later on disputed the well-established truth that was championed by churches also fundamentally influenced print technology. The scientific belief of repeatability in confirming the experimental outcomes spread with the fast and wide distribution of scientific imminent and inventions that print permitted. The fabrication of scientific information speeded up noticeably. The easy with free exchange of thoughts offered an emergency to a scientific community that operated with no geographical restraints. This resulted to a possible spread of standardize methodologies as well as to append classiness to the development of coherent idea. As easily accessible books assisted enlarge the shared body of knowledge, directories in addition to cross-referencing which came out as means of managing dimensions of information and of building innovative associations connecting apparently unconnected ideas. Revolution in printing is believed to have stimulated the various innovations and ease of access of knowledge as well as the composition of individual thought as a result of emergence of print in Europe. Moreover, the fiery invention that typified the Renaissance was greater than before, if not in fraction created through the printing press. The development of printing technology in the modern world has greatly affected the traditions of different communities around the world because through advanced information technology people become exposed to more cultural behaviors both positive and negative. Printing has been surrounded by western culture which and this means that most of the information that is acquired from it is that of western behaviors (Brenner, 2007). In some parts of the world most of the western cultures are viewed as negative and less moral as compared to the culture that is found in other parts of the world such as in African countries. Its impact on orality and oral traditions Print technology initiated a communication revolution that reached deep into individual modes of idea and social relations. Print and spoken language, along with writing plus electronic media, is believed to among the key contributors of historical changes in communication that embraced both social and intellectual transformation. Oral traditions are passed from one generation to another via the filled sensory in addition to touching impression of interpersonal communication. Writing equipments, explanation along with manifestation ever since memorization was embraced is no longer needed for the communication and dispensation of thoughts. Advances in print technology Written texts flashed a disparity on the oral tradition of shared narration of stories as it has become much easier for one to read such tales to the group. Additionally, print revolution brought in being the pursuit of personal privacy which was so convenient because it was cheap and easily portable. The point of reference of print is where it enhanced personal rights and freedoms which assisted in its development. Print instilled Western culture with ideals of sameness, verifiability and communication that comes from one source and is dispersed to various places. Several spectacular technological inventions have since contributed to a vast deal of character and breadth to the position of print in traditions. The provision of typewriters in the market made the production of written texts appear similar in print and broadly accessible. Computer printing has transformed word processing through flexibility in typing, editing and printing. The printers have gone through a number of stages of innovation from mostly used non-impact printers, to ink-jet and presently o laser-jet printers. Presently, both the interactive media along with the internet have availed means of using the printed word that append innovative possibilities to function of printing traditions. The printed text is currently utilized for real-time social interface and for personalized routing throughout interactive documents. Conclusion The level of development in the modern world has greatly improved especially with the increased rate of innovation and growing technology. Everyone in the modern world is impressed at how the level of technology is increasing so fast because they benefit from it in very many different ways (Finnegan, 2010). It is hard to measure the social and cultural influence of latest media without historical distance; however these inventions will for the most part probable demonstrate to hint another most important revolution in use, control and personality of individual communication. As part of information technology in the modern world, the Internet has contributed a lot to the society at large (Adrian, 2002). An important factor that should be considered while looking at the rate of growth of Information Technology in the modern world is through looking at the way the public debates over factors associated with both advantages and disadvantages of Information technology and this is mainly done through looking at the dangers that the internet has imposed on the society. Virtual innovation came to its peak in the late 1990’s since this is the time that most people in the world became more interested in computers and internet. References Adrian, J. (2002). The Book of Nature and the Nature of the Book.  London and New York: Routledge, pp. 59-76. Banks, J (2006). Cultural diversity and printing: foundations, curriculum, and teaching Pearson/Allyn and Bacon Brenner, S., 2007, Law in an Era of Smart Technology, Oxford: Oxford University Press Clara, S (2009).The Facebook era: tapping online social networks to build better products, reach new audiences, and sell more stuff. Prentice Hall Eisenstein, E. (2002). Defining the Initial Shift: Some features of print culture.  London and New York: Routledge, pp. 151-173. Finkelstein, D. & McCleery, A. (2005). An Introduction to Book History. New York: Routledge Finnegan, R. (2010). Printing revolution. Oxford: Clarendon Press Fish, S. (2002). Printing Revolution: The Experience of Seventeenth-Century Printing (Berkeley, Calif, and London: University of California Press Gunkel, D. J. (2003). What's the Matter with Books? Configurations. Vol. 11, No.2, pp. 277-303. Katsh, E. (2004). Digital Lawyers: Orienting the Legal Profession to Cyberspace. University of Pittsburgh Law Review. Vol. 55, No. 4 Read More