The Printed Word - Still Going Strong after 1,150th Years

Continued advances in communication technology would seem to mark the beginning of the end of the printed word. However, only the technology of producing the printed work has changed. In an ASME article titled "Print's Indelible Mark - Part I," there is an interesting history of the earliest methods of printing. First is the story about the oldest printed book, the Diamond Sutra, celebrating its 1,150th birthday. It was printed in 9th century China and discovered in 1907 by western archeologists who smuggled it out of China. The book is actually a 17.5 foot long scroll comprising of multiple wood block prints connected together into the single scroll. The second story is about the Linotype machine, what Thomas Edison called the 8th Wonder of the World. It automated the previous time consuming process of manual type setting. The Linotype machine dominated printing for almost a hundred years, up to the 1980's when electronic composition became the standard. I look forward to the history that will be revealed in Part II of this fascinating story of the technology of the printed word that seems to be here to stay. - Dr. Tom

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