The History and World of Print

As people have evolved, explored and adapted so has the way humans communicate. Printed content from books, magazines and newspapers is the leading source for programming used in other media products, such as television, radio and the internet. So, from hand prints on cave walls to the invention of the internet, print has left humanity’s mark on the world. Therefore, without the world of print no other media product would exist and without printed words, much of human history would be lost.

There would be no programming guidelines for television or radio, no newspapers or magazines, no text books for education and no words to pass on to future generations. Books and magazines began to take shape during the middle ages, when monks and priest from many cultures recorded history, local lore and predictions in hand writing. This period in time is referred to as the Manuscript Culture because words were scripted manually and not by machine. The monks carefully hand printed words on parchment and wood pages, then bound the pages together and decorated the script with beautiful illustrations. They made copies and developed the art of bookmaking. The drawings and symbols supported the meaning of the words.

Many hours were spent designing the wood or leather covers to keep article pages clean and safe, a few of these first books remain intact today. Paper from cotton and linen was invented in China but parchment remained the favorite medium until the invention of the printing press. (Campell, Martin, & Fabos, 2009, p. 355)

Therefore, the printed word began in the form of ancient books printed on clay and papyrus that have recorded history and sculpted society’s thoughts for well over two thousand years. (Campell, Martin, & Fabos, 2009, p. Timeline). The control of the how the printed word would influence the future of media began during the Manuscript Culture period because it was decided by the monks and priest what was printed and recorded. Many of these priests worked for the rulers of the region who told the priests what to write which added to the influence of words and what the public was allowed to learn. The most well known of these collections of articles, is known today, as the Bible.

Some of the most beautiful books ever produced were from the middle ages when monks devoted their lives to making illuminated manuscripts with beautifully decorated pages and covers. The monks of the Manuscript Culture put great care into preparing and editing these manuscripts, by correcting the spelling of words and removing or replacing a word so that it was a closer match to the spoken word, the monks began the development of the rules for grammar in use today, and influenced the use of the written word in society by putting rules and meaning to how writing will be done. The monks and royalty kept information sacred and only allowed access to a privileged few people, they decided what was proper and what was not properly written and what the words meant.