Margie Dana

What Has Had the Greatest Impact
on the Printing Industry?

No one would argue that printing has changed radically since Gutenberg introduced movable metal type back in 1440 - and that it continues to evolve right under our WiFi-addicted, podcast-junky, IM-loving noses.

But I wondered what has made the greatest impact on this industry. So I posed the following question to industry greats Frank Romano, Dr. Joe Webb, and Andy Tribute:

Since the beginning of the 20th century until the present time, what 5 events, inventions, or technologies have had the most significant impact on the printing industry - and why?

Frank Romano has spent over 40 years in the printing and publishing industries. He is the editor of the International Paper Pocket Pal, has authored over 44 books, and has published hundreds of articles for publications from North America and Europe to the Middle East to Asia and Australia. Frank is an Emeritus Professor at RIT and lectures extensively all over the world.

Dr. Joe Webb is one of the industry's best-known consultants, forecasters, and commentators. He writes the popular “Mondays with Dr. Joe” column on WhatTheyThink.com and is also the Director of its Economics and Research Center. A 30-year veteran of the graphic arts, Dr. Joe was the founder of the influential TrendWatch information service, which was sold to Reed Elsevier in 2000.

Andrew Tribute is an internationally recognized authority on marketing and technology issues for the printing, publishing and media markets. He is the Managing Partner of Attributes Associates, a specialized consultancy that focuses on these subjects. Andy is also a Visiting Professor at University of the Arts London.

I asked them to list their answers in order of the most significant to the least, if they wished. Here's what they said:

From Frank Romano -

"These five general technologies:

1. The computer
   From the mainframe to the desktop

2. Telecommunications
   From the phone system to networks to wireless

3. The laser
   From blue and violet to YAG

4. Off-the shelf software
   From layout to drawing to image processing

5. Digitization
   Reducing the visual world to dots

. . . made possible these five printing technologies:

1. Scanning
   For color separation

2. Pagination
   For page assembly

3. Workflow
   For automation

4. Digital imaging
   For film, plate, toner and inkjet imaging

5. The Internet
   For integrating communication"

From Andy Tribute -

"First of all, Margie, nothing really important happened between 1900 and 1948. Hot metal typesetting all started before 1900. It all has happened since then.

1. The computer. This has become the key element in every piece of printing equipment from origination, pre-press, workflow, press management and control, management of post press systems, and business management.

2. The color scanner as invented by both Rudolf Hell and John Crosfield in the late 1950s. This enabled the speeding up and cost reduction of handling color images and allowed color printing to become the norm rather than a special area of work. This worked together with item 3 (the phototypesetter) in making litho the major printing technology.

3. The phototypesetter and later the imagesetter. That allowed offset printing to take over as the main printing process by both reducing the cost of creating quality text and generating a film image. The first true phototypesetter rather than a modified hot metal system was probably invented in 1949 by Frenchmen Rene Alphonse Higonnet and Louis Marius Moyroud. The first imagesetter was brought to market by Monotype Corporation in 1967.

4. The laser printer invented by Garry Starkweather at Xerox in 1972. This technology has allowed for an alternative to ink on paper and has opened up new forms of printing for applications unsuited to offset, flexo, gravure or letterpress.

5. Desktop publishing developed by the three As, Aldus Corporation for the Pagemaker software that allowed nonskilled operators to replace skilled typesetters and page assembly staff; Adobe for the development of the PostScript language that allowed PageMaker to operate and to have suitable output devices for imaging; and Apple for providing the computer that allowed such unskilled staff to take on these roles."

From Dr. Joe Webb -

"My thoughts are these…

1. Polyester film: people used to make glass plates for halftones? Sure did!

2. Phototypesetting: was the first step toward professional desktop publishing and the undermining of almost the entire trade service industry.

3. Offset printing: it was around awhile, but it came into its own and played a big part in making color printing something we take for granted. Its first users were called "liquorgraphers" because you had to be drunk to think it would work. Where are the letterpress guys now?

4. Digital photography: even including scanners... turned the whole stock photo industry upside down and brought it into the modern age, made photographers more productive, and made professional desktop publishing something that went well beyond layouts, text, and line art.

5. Phone: only because the telegraph was important the century before; sending content over long distances... and look at us now!"

Do you agree? Would the computer and the telephone make your Top 5 list? What about the scanner and the phototypesetter? Wouldn't you enjoy a lively debate on this subject with these three experts? I know I would.

I am collecting responses to this question, for posting on our site, so please take a minute and send me yours.

I want to thank Frank, Dr. Joe and Andy. Great minds think alike, much of the time!

©2007 Margie Dana. All rights reserved. You're free to forward this email to friends and colleagues: please do! However, no part of this column may be reprinted without permission from the author.

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