The History Of Poster Design The origins of printed communication

HOW THIS WORKS... Key points will be in yellow and in bold. These are the points you want to take down in your notes...

Long ago… in a country far far away... there were no such things as ”posters” In Europe our primary source of information came from this guy The Town Crier Town criers traversed the streets and would stop at crossroads. They would then announce everything from burials, goods and lost objects to Kings proclamations and orders.

Gutenberg Press Johann Gutenberg's type closely follows the style of handwriting practiced in Germany at the time. Gutenberg popularized the process of printing from moveable type in 1440… one of the most monumental achievements of our civilization. The visual is a page from his famous 42-line Bible which was printed in two volumes between 1452 and Watch…

Gutenberg's Type, Circa 1440 Johann Gutenberg's type closely follows the style of handwriting practiced in Germany at the time. Gutenberg popularized the process of printing from moveable type in 1440… one of the most monumental achievements of our civilization. The visual is a page from his famous 42-line Bible which was printed in two volumes between 1452 and Watch…

The history of posters can be traced as far back as the 15th century, when artisans handmade each and every sheet. While a painstaking process indeed, it ushered in a new age of providing news, announcements, and other information to passers-by on the streets.

FREEDOM OF PRESS & THE RISE OF INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION In 1789, the French revolution caused a virtual explosion in the field of communications. The French began to experience "Freedom of the Press", and all of the newspapers began displaying printed advertisements. The industrial rise of the 19th century ushered in the beginnings of mechanization, which opened a new era in publishing thanks to this guy… Aloysius Senefelder

THE RISE OF THE PRINTING PRESS The art of Lithography was invented by a Czech named Aloysius Senefelder in 1798 in Austria. By 1848, the process had been refined to the point that it was possible to print 10,000 sheets per an hour

THE RISE OF THE PRINTING PRESS Like most print media, graphic arts were dependent on the invention of the printing press. This allowed for the mass production of all shapes and sizes of posters as well. The technique that is used to print posters, is called LITHOGRAPHY This is printing by placing ink on a series of wood or metal ("lithos") raised portions of a carved, etched, or cast block. A very early Printing Press A very early Printing Press

This direct process captures the artist's true intention, however the final printed image is in reverse. The images and lettering needed to be drawn backwards, often reflected in a mirror or traced backwards on a transfer paper. A distinct advantage of lithography was the ability to hand draw letters, opening the field of type design to endless styles. THE RISE OF THE PRINTING PRESS

Raised lettering… Originally made of wood, then later in lead

Printed on one side only, broadsides are used to issue public decrees, governmental notifications and a host of commercial and private announcements. Early broadsides were quickly and crudely produced in large quantities and distributed freely in town squares, taverns, and churches. Broadsides were intended to have an immediate impact and then to be discarded. BEGINNING OF PRINTED COMMUNICATION - BROADSIDES

Broadsides were meant to be read from a distance and therefore required large type. Metal type could not be cast much larger than an inch and still retain the flat surface required for letterpress relief printing. BEGINNING OF PRINTED COMMUNICATION - BROADSIDES Commercial pressure for large type was answered with the invention of a system for wood type production. In 1827 Darius Wells ( ) invented a special wood drill, the lateral router, capable of cutting letters on type-high end-cut wood blocks.

BEGINNING OF PRINTED COMMUNICATION - BROADSIDES