print
prɪnt/
verb
- 1.produce (books, newspapers, etc.), especially in large quantities, by a mechanical process involving the transfer of text or designs to paper.
- 2.write (text) clearly without joining the letters together.
'I love a ballad in print alife, for then we are sure they are true' - Shakespeare
It if is print then it seen to be true. It is correct. It is factual.
Print has been around for thousands of years. Before humans even understood who they were.
Documentation. Communication. Reproduction.
200 AD: One of the first examples of print. Woodcut - craft based, in the far east. A similar process to now, printing with permanent ink.
Europe didn't start printing until 1200 AD.
Mass Communication
The first book - esque item - China in 650 AD. Buddhism, spreading the charms and zen of Buddhism, standardising information. Religion attracts people, the sense of community. Ultimately, religion has money, which fuelled development in technology.
Rennaisance in Europe - Mass communication began to spread. The structure of the world changed - people began to travel and teach each other. Communication & Literacy boomed.
Religious and political power fuelled this.
'Trickle down theory' - The upper class learnt how to read and write, then lower classes learnt how to read to not feel as excluded. People became aware of their community.
Between the 15th and 18th century, the output of books and printed material was a massive change. There was over a billion copies printed in the 18th century. This is down to the use of the Guggenheim press.
Again, this was fuelled by religion - something to tell people about, and something constantly published.
People wanted to put their ideas / philosophies out into the world.
The Guggenheim press - Hot lead press, individual letters that you'll set. This is also when the idea of glyphs formed, purely through laziness. It's much easier to use a '&' instead of the word 'and'.
We start to think about print an image, instead of just a form of written communication.
Marshall McLuhan (1911 - 1980)
'Medium is the message'
Language constantly changes, but this tends to not change as much in print.
Democracy, capitalism, nationalism, individualism.
Linotype
Revolutionised the world of printing. You type something, and it comes out as a solid block of type.
- 1884
- You don't have to worry about spacing anymore.
- Many newspapers used this, up until the 1970's. This is when it all went into something that can be fit onto the table.
- Linotype - The film
Etching
Came from when people would wear suits of armour.
Fuelled by religion.
Mass Communication - Moulin Rouge 'Ladies of the Night'.
Lithography - Stone, oil wax - incredibly cheap.
William Morris - Victoriana - A time of excess. Asian influences in terms of colour. Looking at craft, with people's skills developing.
The Beginning of Propoganda
1870 - Join the Navy
1936 - The Spanish Civil War
Modernism - Very clear, crisp, primary colours.
German Nazi Propoganda
Mass propoganda was understood easily. Society was changing.
Daily Star
February 2010 - EDL Protest
'Well stand up and fight for Britiains war heroes'
Anti - Muslim Propoganda - The BNP being where it's at.
98 percent of people said they would vote for the BNP after reading the newspaper.
Yet only 70 percent knew who the BNP was.
We believe print is truth.
Andre The Giant
Jake the Snake Vs Andre The Giant.
Jake had a snake called Damian, who would stay in his bag. Andre the Giant was scared of snakes, and was humiliated at the Royal Rumble. Lots of disrespect given to Andre the Giant.
'Andre the Giant has a posse' - OBEY
Very underground, street artist.
Low - Fi reproduction values - Obama 'Hope' poster for campaign. Shephard Fairey connected with the youth, and ultimately print changed the world.
