3/23/2023 0 Comments Eazydraw retroMost were welcoming of this new technology, but others were hesitant. The transition from manual production meant that processes saw more efficiency and accuracy. Digital methods introduced a range of new styles and movements, allowing for more experimentation in type, colour, layers, etc. Along with new software companies Adobe and Aldus, designs could be made and printed faster than ever before. Graphic design and typography have always been informed by technology because of the means of production and print available. Printing remained analogue until 1985 when Apple released its laser writer printer. It’s also known as the ‘hybrid’ era because while digital tools were being introduced, production methods remained very analogue. This was the beginning of the desktop publishing age. In 1984, the first Macintosh computer was released with only three programs - MacDraw, MacWrite and MacPaint. Where photo setting was a service, Letraset was a product. Manual kerning and spacing became possible with the PhotoTypositor soon after. This can be seen in punk culture, the Black Panther Magazine and many queer publications. Letraset worked by rubbing letters and symbols from a plastic sheet onto a surface. It was a very democratic product, allowing students and those unfamiliar with typography and graphic design to take part. Along with paste-ups and photocopies, these methods gave many marginalised communities the ability to participate, as professional vendors often didn’t want to do their work. It was a cheap and easy method for people who either didn’t have much money or know how to set type mechanically. Photostat machines were used to scale and reproduce images and proportion wheels assisted with cropping. Another important advancement in design at this time was the creation of Letraset. Clip art was also entering the graphic design world at this time, based on a subscription model where companies would receive monthly types. This involved cutting out text and images and pasting them into a new format. In the 1970s, paste-up processes were a popular way to make page layouts for printing. Overall, the hot metal technique is very complex and elaborate. Photographs were simulated using patterns of black dots known as halftone. Graphic production (illustration and photographs) had to go through an engraving process with a specialised service and this was very expensive and time consuming which meant that graphics were rarely used. Eventually they would use a perforated (coded) tape to operate the linotype machines and set type automatically as it was faster and more accurate. A layout would be drafted in pencil and then arranged line-by-line on a composing stone ready for print. This machine brought the cost of books within an average price range and made mass education possible. Linotype is a hot metal technique where molten metal is used to create glyph forms and setting text. Gutenberg originally wanted to print bibles mechanically, but have them look as though they were done manually so that he could charge for hand-written pieces. Since then, many different processes for design production and layout have entered the industry. In 1886, Ottmar Mergenthaler invented the linotype machine. Johannes Gutenberg was the first person to combine all necessary printing components into a machine and in the 1440s he invented the Gutenberg Press.
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