Printing is perhaps one of the oldest printing processes known to man. The printing press allowed people to share huge volumes of data in great quantities and with quick speed. Actually, the printing press has become so important that it has become known as one of the major innovations of modern time. A printing development thus can be said to mark a major leap forward in the field of printing.
As early as the 14th century, the printing was done not only on paper but on papyrus as well. However, the printing process has gone through many changes throughout the years. The printing presses used at that time were made of wood or metals. The movable type of printing presses has been introduced by Johannes Peter in the late 1700’s. The first movable type printing presses were based on the mechanism of an old-fashioned steam engine. This mechanism was found to be extremely useful for printing huge volumes of text in a short time.
In order to overcome the printing difficulties, Johannes Peter and others like him spent many hours developing new machines such as the Gutenberg machine. The Gutenberg machine uses movable type blocks as opposed to traditional blocks made of wood. The moveable type blocks include the ink rollers which are located between the ink plates in the printing press.
These blocks move according to the dictates of a computer program which contains thousands of words of text. When a person inserts a word or set of words into the computer file, this command is followed by the ink rollers which push the block in the right direction. When the desired direction is achieved, then the rollers let the block come out from between the ink plates. The ink then spreads rapidly on the paper. Due to this, the printing time is considerably shortened.
Johannes Peter used his newly developed technology to print pamphlets for church meetings, political demonstrations, and social service programs. His efforts were not recognized at first but his innovative technique was eventually adopted by other printer companies. The printers continued to tweak his design until the final product we have today. Today, almost all printing presses use the same basic principles which were implemented by Johannes Peter more than a century ago. However, some differences have been made in the production process to give the best quality prints.
The ink roller in a printing press. The printing blocks are positioned between two ink rollers which are in front of and behind the press. The ink roller moves back and forth by sliding on a guide rail. If you look at a typical printing press, you will see that the ink roller is mounted on a straight rail along the top of the press. The printing plates are mounted on a horizontal bar across the bottom of the press.
There are different types of printing presses, which include lever presses, machine presses, vertical presses, rotary presses, and perforated presses. Lever printing presses are most popular due to the ease of operation. This type of printing press usually has an arm or a crank which is manually adjusted. Unlike other presses, the pressure of the lever can be adjusted according to the size of the text or image that is to be printed. Machines are designed to press heavier materials, while vertical presses are used to print small amounts of material. Rotary and perforated presses are used to print intricate designs such as signs and maps.
All the machines and presses mentioned above are interconnected through a common carrier that carries the ink, oil, and paper that are required in the printing process. Most modern presses also have a single roll cutter which is responsible for cutting paper into different sizes. When it comes to quality, printing presses play a very important role in any business. They allow printed materials to be produced in volume, thereby saving overhead expenses.