Printing

Printing is an industrial process for reproducing copies of an image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is an important part of publishing.

Printing using a printing press dates back to the 15th century in Europe, although the technique is believed to have been developed and used earlier in China. An example is the Diamond Sutra[?] of AD 868, a Buddhist scripture, which is the earliest known dated work of block printing. For a fuller history of printing, see the printing press article.

A document can also be printed by a laser printer or other computer printer. In recent years, computer printing and industrial printing processes have converged, leading to the development of digital printing[?].

The artistic process of printmaking is also known as printing.

See also: Johann Gutenberg, David Bruce, George E. Clymer, William Clowes, Lithography, Flexography, Anilox, National Print Museum of Ireland, Bookbinding, Movable type, Publishing, Typography, Word processing