The Introduction to Print Culture


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

The Introduction to Print Culture

The evidence of printed material can be found everywhere around us—in journals, magazines, newspapers, books, theatre programmes, calendars, diaries, advertisements, cinema posters etc. The coming of print had a great impact on social lives and change in culture. The earliest kind of print technology was developed in China, Japan and Korea. From AD 594 onwards, books in China were printed by rubbing paper against the inked surface of woodblocks.

The first printed books: The traditional Chinese ‘Accordion Book’ was folded and stitched at the side because both sides of the thin, porous sheet could not be printed. Skilled craftsmen could duplicate, the beauty of calligraphy with remarkable accuracy.

For very long time, the imperial state in China was the major producer of printed material. China possessed a huge bureaucratic system, which recruited its personnel through civil service examinations. So the vast number of text books were printed in China under the sponsorship of the imperial state.From 16th century , number of examinations candidates went up and that increased the Volume of print .

This new reading culture was accompanied by a new technology . western printing techniques and mechanical presses were imported in the late nineteenth century as western powers established their outposts in china . Shanghai became the hub of new print culture catering to the western style schools . From Hand printing there was now a gradual shift to mechanical printing . 

  • Porous :- having small holes that allow air or liquid to pass through . 
  • Calligraphy :-  The art of beautiful and stylised writing . 
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