The development of printing in the 19th century
In the 19th century, the speed and efficiency of printing was greatly improved through replacing wooden parts with metal ones, cylindrical printing, and stereotyping. The innovations of printing in the 19th century affected the way images were reproduced for illustrations as well as for type. These innovations were so influential on society because they greatly increased the ability to produce large quantities of work quickly. This was very significant for printers of newspapers, who were limited by the amount their press could produce in a short amount of time.
One major step in improving the printing press was changing the parts from wood to metal. Charles 3rd Earl of Stanhope was the first to succeed in creating a machine made of metal in 1798. The metal press could also print twice as much in one print compared to a wooden press since the metal created a clearer mark even with a larger plate. This doubling of efficiency greatly influenced the production of the printing press which led to faster output and more pages printed at one time.
A new device was added to improve the inking process. Samuel Rust created a method of applying ink with automated rollers in the metal press in 1827. Then with the use of steam power, he automated the mechanism for applying ink, and the movement of paper in the press. As the technology changed and was distributed, the dispersal of printed material also increased.
The steam powered cylinder press further improved the efficiency of printing. The significant innovation of the cylinder steam powered printing press would not have been nearly so important without the innovation of the stereotyped plates. This allowed for less difficulty in reprinting classic books because the old stereotypes could be reused instead of setting the type each time.
Lithography became popular in America starting in 1828, and colour lithography was invented in 1837. The use of lithography spread wildly in the U.S. Printed images were important in books, but they were also widely used for business transactions, advertisements, and magazines. Illustrations helped to greatly increase magazine subscription as well as the number of magazine titles. Stereotyping and electrotyping were used for illustrations as well as type, and they were created through the same method.
The new technologies of printing created during the 19th century allowed for more efficiency, leading to a wider distribution of materials, including books and newspapers. Although mechanization greatly increased the abilities of printers to produce many more copies of works and, in turn, increased distribution, it was not the only factor in the increase in literacy and the spread of printed works. Other factors such as publishing companies and lending libraries also had great effect on the growth of the book in 19th century society.
