Printing Equipment And The History Of The World
ď śNothing that we know today would be the same without printing equipment. Science, engineering, education, literature, industry, communications, government, and social interaction are all dependent on this way of replicating images on one medium or another. We can thank the Chinese for the first tools to imprint an image on cloth.
ď śMankind began to put mental images on visible surfaces early on: lines on the earth, pictures on cave walls, maps on animal skins, and characters on parchment and papyrus. ď śThis was done by hand, and copies were not exact. Human error was always a factor, and handwork took a lot of time and effort.
ď śExact replication is one great benefit of using a preset original over and over. It also reduces the time and effort needed to make multiple copies. ď śThe first tool that achieved this was a carved block of wood used in China to imprint images on cloth. By the fourth century, the system was spreading through the Roman Empire.
ď ś The complicated Chinese language made wood block prints slow and often impractical. They did produce books; one has survived that dates to 869 AD. Paper money was also produced in this manner in early Chinese dynasties.
ď śThe Chinese are credited with the first movable type, characters made of clay. Their utility was quickly recognized, and more durable wood and metal were used. ď śCharacters that could be reused and rearranged made books and other designs much easier to make and replicate. The works of Confucius are early examples.
ď ś The Gutenberg printing press of the fifteenth century, which used the simpler western alphabet, brought books into the reach of the common man. No longer were manuscripts locked away in monasteries or the libraries of royalty. ď śThe basic technique of Gutenberg, including a metal alloy that he used to make his typeface, is still used today. The Gutenberg Bible came out in 1455.
ď śPeople in power often feared the spread of literacy to the common man. Religious leaders felt that only priests should read and interpret the Scriptures. ď śPolitical leaders feared that the governed would get radical ideas, while men feared that women would become too independent. It was illegal to teach slaves to read and write in many American states.
Today we enjoy even more access to printing equipment with new computer technology. This ability to reproduce images in a cost effective manner is valuable in many fields, including education, industry, engineering, and communication. Check out this site for more info solidworks price list and solidworks 2011 price : http://www.mcad.com/