Hieroglyphic

Mean pictures and symbols that represent ideas, objects and symbols in a formalized writing system.

Come from Greek words hieroglyphika grammata mean ‘sacred carved letters’ – religious and nature.

Rosetta Stone show the Egyptian hieroglyphic that contain decree issued in 196 B.C. written in 3 languages:- Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphic and Demotic. Permanent display in the British Museum in London.

Hieroglyphic text are composed of ideograms – sign or drawing represents some object or concepts that is derived from the graphic.

The Alphabet

Began to appear in Egypt around 3,000 B.C. The system developed by Phoenicians. They write on papyrus.

Fourth century B.C. Greek adopted and modified the Phoenicians alphabetic system and added vowels to the alphabet. Greek write from left to right but Phoenicians wrote from right to left. The Greek also changed the names of some letters.

The Roman later took the Greek alphabet and adapted it to their own language – unchanged and that is what we use today.

The Development of Papermaking

Began during 14 and 15 centuries A.D. The process of making paper is credited to Chinese court officer name Tsai Lun about 105 A.D.

16 century paper mills were established throughout Europe. Use manual process. Very limited amount.

The mechanized process for making paper was developed in 1798 by a Frenchman, Nicolas Robert.

Fourdrinear Brothers built the first commercially successful papermaking machine in 1804 in England – more efficient.

The Printed Word

Wooden blocks. Wooden blocks used for printing must be carefully handcrafted and each block represented only a single book page and use heavy pressure.

Handscribed manuscript – expensive because scribes not many and demanded high wages.

15 century Europe used moveable type and mechanized printing. Introduced by Johann Guenberg, a German goldsmith.

Introduced the process of replica – casting individual pieces of type. Each letter of alphabet is carved in relief form a master letter punch. (punch letter into a brass mold).

Also developed a printing ink because it different from ink for wood blocks.

The Guttenberg Bible (also known as the 42 lines bible) was published around 1455. More than 1300 pages, printed two pages at a time by hand. He died in 1468.

Venetian, Aldus Manutius, a printer who pioneered the production of inexpensive books was published the first generation pocket book.

Nicholas Jensen (1470) – introduced basic form of Roman typeface.

French printer, Claude Garamond was the first person to elevate type design and type casting. Garamond design and produced typefaces.

William Caxton – published first book printed in English language in Belgium. Back to London, he published the first dated book printed in England in 1477.

17-18 century, English printer still imported type from Netherland because there were no type foundries in England.

William Caslon (engraver) set up the first type foundry in London. Printed a type specimen sheet in 1734 that include typeface design.

John Baskerville (type designer and printer) contributed rich-toned printing inks and glossy-surfaced paper.

Printed bible in 1763 was one of the finest examples of 18 century printing.

The Emergence of Photography

Kodak Camera was introduced in 1888 – it changed the way in people communicate.

Photography played a key role in communication technology as an art form and as a foundation process use in all of the major printing and graphic reproduction process.

The first commercial camera was developed by a Frenchman – Louis Daguerre.

The original Kodak camera came with a 100 exposure roll film. After taking pictures, the camera was sent back to the factory to reload with a new roll.

1947, the single-step Polaroid was introduced by Polaroid Corporation pioneered by Edwin land. A colour version of the camera became commercially available in 1963.

American inventor, Chester Carlson was developed the foundations of electrostatic printing, later known as xerography.

Manganese - a brittle grayish-white metallic chemical element found in pyrolusite and rhodonite and used in strengthening steel and alloys

Go to The Development of Graphic Communication additional notes