Graphic Communications Introduction & History

Graphic Communications The technology of communicating information through photographic, drawing, computer and printed means.

Graphic Arts Technical area of producing printed products. Including the following: layout, copy prep, photo conversion, image carriers, image transfer, binding and finishing.

Graphic Communications Purpose Create products that communicate visually. –Books –Magazines –Newspapers –Packages –Garments

Why is Graphic Communication so powerful? People learn about 80% of what they know through their eyes.

1500 BC China 1 st simple alphabet

105 AD China invention of paper

770 AD Japanese use wooden blocks for printing

880 AD China 1 st book Diamond Sutra

1100 AD China use of movable symbols and characters made of baked clay

1450 AD Germany: Johann Gutenberg develops reusable movable metal type Beginning of mass communication One of the first items printed was the Bible 250 printed - 25 still exist today

1650 AD Boston MA Harvard University 1 st print shop in America Matthew Daye publishes The Whole Book of Psalms

1688 AD Pennsylvania William Bradford (Quaker) 2 nd print shop in America

1689 AD Pennsylvania William Rittenhouse 1 st paper mill in America. Rittenhouse Mill

1796 Germany Alois Senefelder applied an image to limestone using a grease pencil. He then wet the stone and found that ink stuck only to the image area. Beginning of Lithography

st Artificial satellite launched Sputnik

October 17, 1967 A full size newspaper is transmitted by satellite, telephone wire and underground cable 5000 miles in less that 15 minutes. London, England – San Juan, Puerto Rico

1972 Ray Tomlinson developed 1 st program.

1977 Apple introduces the 1 st computer with color graphics $1300.

1984 Apple introduces Macintosh Hewlett Packard introduces laser jet printer Beginning of desktop publishing

1985 Adobe introduces Pagemaker

Internet becomes available to general public

1986 Kodak introduces 1 st digital camera

1987 Adobe introduces Pagemaker for Windows

1990s Many new desktop publishing programs introduced Most for Windows

Religion Religion was one of the most if not the single most important driving force in the development of printing.