Page 17 - All About History - Issue 18-14

Mass Media

4 PRINTING
How not to… proofread your work
Misprints in books are usually picked up before they go to market, but any PIONEERS
unnoticed printing errors can prove very costly, not just for a company’s
bank balance but also their reputation. In The Pasta Bible, a cookbook JOHANNES
printed in 2010, the phrase ‘salt and freshly ground black pepper’ was
somehow misprinted as ‘black people’. Over 7,000 of the books had to be GUTENBERG
destroyed, costing them $20,000, but it was impossible to recall all the
copies already in circulation. This is a problem almost as old as printing 1398-1468, GERMANY
Theinventorofthemoving-type
itself; a Bible printed in 1631 contained what may have been a deliberate
printing press died before his
mistake from a bitter typesetter, stating that one of the commandments
contribution to the world was
is ‘Thou shalt commit adultery.’ Once discovered, it was dubbed The
suitably recognised.
Wicked Bible and King Charles ordered all copies to be destroyed in a fire.
However, 11 known copies still survive to this day and can fetch up to
$100,000 (£62,000) at auction.

FRIEDRICHKOENIG

1774-1833, GERMANY
Koenig invented the steam-
powered, high-speed printing
press.Itprintedthefirstissueof
The Times in 1814.

Make a forme Apply the ink
Once you’re happy with your page you need to make a Take your forme to the printing press and prepare for
03 ‘forme’ to use on the press. This makes it easier to print 04some hard labour. Letterpress presses are operated by
multiple copies of your book and saves time and materials. A two people and involves a long and meticulous process, albeit not WILLIAMBULLOCK
hammer is used to make sure all the letter faces sit at an even as long as creating handwritten manuscripts. One person needs
1813-1867, USA
surface for printing. The pages are then set into a chase – a to ink the type; this is done with two inked pads stuffed with Bullock’simprovementstothe
metal frame – and locked firmly into place. sheep’s wool mounted on handles. rotary printing press revolutionised
printing, but he was killed by his
own invention when his leg was
caught in the machine.

GARY
STARKWEATHER

1938-PRESENT, USA
The invention of the laser printer
and colour management can be
attributed to this Xerox engineer.
Prepare your paper and print Admire your finished masterpiece
Take some damp paper and hold it in place between Because of the crisp and clean finish letterpress printing
05 the frisket and tyman with some small pins – the paper 06 produces, it excels when printing lines, typography
should then be laid on the surface of the inked type and rolled and patterns. Patterns can be created on the paper in much the
under the platen using a small handle. Then turn a long handle same way as type, with many attractive patterns adorning early
known as ‘Devil’s Tail’, which puts pressure on the pattern, letterpress books. Pictures can also be produced by running the
© Edward Crooks
making an impression on the fresh paper with the ink. paper through the press several times to add different colours.

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