History!
It goes way way back, but let's start with the invention of moveable type.
In 1439 Johannes Guttenberg becomes the first European to use moveable type.
Technologies give birth to Different Worlds of Tools & Techniques
The world of: Paste-up
One had to glue things down to a piece of thick board in preparation for photographing.
Paste-up example using tape and paste to create camera-ready artwork for printing
One used fancy and expensive machines and specialized furnature to draw parallel lines and lines at a perfect right angle.
Drafting Machines
T-Squares
One had to stick things down the Artboards with specialized (and potentially carcinogenic) adhesives
Spray Mount, Rubber Cement and Rubber Cement Thinner
Hot-Waxers
World's Sharpest and easily dulled knives used for hours a day
X-Acto Knives & Blades
The world of: Typesetting
Wooden Type
Metal Type
Hand-Set Type
Linotype Hot-Lead Typesetter Machine
(Wikipedia article )
Photo-Typesetting station and Phototype Headline Setter
The world of: Inking
Straight-Edges & Triangles
Templates
French Curve Sets
Flexible Curves
Ruling Pens
Instrument sets
Rapidograph Pens
Hand Mask-Cutting
Rubylith
Camera Sizing
Photostat Camera
& Processor
Luci Camera
Proportion Wheel
Weird Types of Measurement
Typesetting is measured in Points, Picas and Agates
- Points invented by French printers in the early 18th Century
- Agates used by newspapers (about 5.5 points in one agate)
- 72 points (pt.) per inch (.01386 inch)
- 1 pica = 12 points, 6 picas per inch
- Don't worry, the only one that matters anymore in points...(although Picas do come in handy)
Separate Design and Production Departments
- Probably the biggest single change to the design industry by "desktop publishing", designers no longer had to send out for type or depend on the production dept. to make camera-ready artwork.
- And speaking of "Desktop Publishing"...
