Boyle 1

Sean Boyle

Bus 1

October 20, 2008

Barbara Cox

The History of Book Manufacturing

When one thinks of knowledge, and where to obtain knowledge, he or she might

imagine a vast library full of books. But where did these books come from? How were

they manufactured? How did the process of book manufacturing evolve over the years?

The earliest known instance of book manufacturing began in the T’ang Dynasty

(618 to 906 AD). The words were carved into wood and used as templates, which were

inked and stamped onto paper. The earliest dated printed book is the Diamond Sutra, a

Buddhist text, printed in 868. Prior to the T’ang Dynasty, books were created by scribes

who would hand-write every word. In 1241, Koreans began to print book using movable

type. Movable type is a printing method in which the templates are made up of smaller

templates which consist of one letter, and which can be rearranged later to print a

different text. (About.com 1)

In the 1300s, the French and Germans established paper mills and began to mass-

produce paper. In the 1450s, Johannes Gutenberg invented the Printing Press. Other

Europeans are sometimes credited with contributing towards the creation of the printing

press, but Gutenberg is usually given most of the credit. The Printing Press made it

easier to produce books in higher quantities. The first book Gutenberg began

manufacturing was the Bible. (Britannica 1)

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The Industrial Revolution brought important technological changes to the world

of book manufacturing. In the 1870s, paper mills began to mass-produce paper more

efficiently from wood pulp. In 1890, Edison introduced the Mimeograph machine, which

made it easier to publish smaller batches of manuscripts without large overhead costs. In

1947, advances in phototypesetting made the process more practical. Phototypesetting

had some advantages over traditional book manufacturing methods, including increased

speed and lower cost. (Encarta 1)

In the late 20th Century, technological advances changed the way texts are

distributed. Audio books, books read aloud into an audio recorder for record, tape or CD

distribution, have grown in popularity. With the advent of the internet, books have been

distributed in the form of e-books, electronic files containing the book’s text. Many e-

books can be found online. Advances in what is called e-paper has given rise to devices

called e-book readers, which are easier on the eyes and more power efficient than reading

a book off a computer screen.

Book manufacturing has had a long history of constant development. Books

continue to maintain their importance in the worlds of academics and entertainment.

Who knows what the future holds for books?

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Works Cited

“Book.” MSN Encarta, Accessed Oct 20, 2008

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761563466/Book.html#p2

“Johannes Gutenberg.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Accessed Oct 20, 2008 -

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/249878/Johannes-Gutenberg

“Printing Press.” About.com, Accessed Oct 20, 2008 -

http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/printing_3.htm