Our editors worked together with a writer to edit the content, check for problems, design the cover, and coordinate with reviewers for the book. To go from the author's computer to the printer to the binder to your bookshelves, how does the book make its journey? In order to get this information, we went to Mackays Printers in Chatham.
Since the dawn of time, people have been known to read books. In order to create papyrus, the ancient Egyptians would crush the plant's stems into paper-thin sheets. Papyrus was then utilised as a writing surface. Papyrus sheets were sometimes laminated together to create scrolls as well. At some point in human history, they stopped utilising scrolls and instead developed books with pages fashioned from folded or torn sheets of papyrus.
Before we get started, let's take a step back and go through some of the history of web offset lithography with you. The idea originated in the latter half of the 18th century and was based on the observation that oil and water have a fundamental reluctance to mix with one another. The text is first photographed, and then the photograph is put onto printing plates composed of paper, plastic, or thin metal. After that, a combination of oil-based ink and water is rolled onto the plates to print on them. Because oil and water do not mix, the non-image regions of the plate will not absorb the oil-based ink that is applied to it. An image is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket cylinder, which is then utilised to transfer the picture to the substrate. The image is then transferred from the rubber blanket cylinder to the substrate.
The initial books were produced one at a time, one page at a time, with the text being manually copied onto each page. That would need a very significant amount of time. It was only possible to make copies of a limited number of pages each day. Because the production of a book required a lot of effort and time, only monks and other highly educated people could afford it.
The printing plates for the book are required to be produced out of metal in advance of the printing process. On each plate, the book's text has been burnt into a rubber surface.
At one point, rather of being digitally lasered onto a plate, the text was initially composed of individual pieces of metal type that were pieced together page by page. This needed a very high level of skill as well as a lot of perseverance. The development of new printing technologies has made it possible to produce books in large quantities at a competitive price, which has substantially aided in the dissemination of writing and artistic expression.
During our most recent visit to the printer, we were given the opportunity to see a remnant from the early 19th century in the form of a Washington Hand Press (shown below). The operator of this press would first set type into a frame, then fill the frame with ink, and then print the frame. The piece of paper was then pressed up against the structure. Be sure to take notice of the photo's handle; it was included for a specific purpose. A strong individual was required to raise and lower the handle of the machine in order to press the paper down on the machine.
The reel stand of the printing press is where a reel of paper is placed. The publisher selects and provides the paper for each book, which might vary in quality across dimensions like type, weight, colour, and width. Using the reel stand, the paper rolls are unwound onto the printing lines so that printing may begin.
At the "in-feed" station, the paper is introduced into the machine and transported along a set of rollers in order to complete the printing process. The primary responsibility of the in-feed station is to operate the reel stand, which, in turn, is responsible for removing paper from the running reel at the same rate as the press itself. As the paper travels through, this feature stops it from bending and keeps it in its flat position.
These days, it's possible to print thousands of copies in only a few short days. The printing presses are housed in massive buildings of the same name. The facility in Crawfordsville has an area that is the same size as 1,700 football fields. To ensure that the printing machines operate continuously, workers put in shifts both during the day and at night.
From the two pictures that are provided below, you should be able to get a very good idea of the size of these cutting-edge printing equipment.
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