Printing has come a long way through the ages. Its history dates back to 256 BC when various groups used to write and draw on cave walls and clay surfaces. Today printing is as easy as pie, and you can choose to print either in colour or black and white at the touch of a button. This shows you just how much printing has evolved over the years.
A more in-depth look into the history of printing
According to archaeological evidence, printing has been present and can be traced back to ancient cultures where people made use of ink to write and draw. The original Chinese inks have been found to be present around 256 BC. They were made by combining animal glue and soot, and can be traced back to the use of inks consisting of natural plant dyes.
During prehistoric times in Europe, people made cave paintings using red or black manganese. They made their dies from animal blood and made their drawings on walls instead of on paper like we do today. Ancient Egyptians on the other hand are known for their wide use of black ink. They made this ink by combining black soot, vegetable oil and wax. In order to achieve different colours, they mixed and matched the various raw materials like ochre, for example.
Engraving and etching was introduced in the Middle Ages and continued growing and evolving. Back then, they would use acid to cut into unprotected metal and then they would apply that to printing using iron plates. Colour printing became popular in the 20th century as daily newspapers became more common.
Today printing is as easy as pie, and you can choose to print either in colour of black and white at the touch of a button. This shows you just how much printing has evolved over the years.