The History Of
Poster Design
The origins of printed
communication
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Long ago… in a country far far away...
there were no such things as ”posters”
• In Europe our primary source of
information came from this guy
The Town Crier
Town criers traversed the
streets and would stop at
crossroads.
They would then
announce everything
from burials, goods
and lost objects to
Kings proclamations
and orders.
Gutenberg Press
Johann Gutenberg's type closely
follows the style of handwriting
practiced in Germany at the time.
Gutenberg popularized the process
of printing from moveable type in
1440… one of the most monumental
achievements of our civilization.
The visual is a page from his famous
42-line Bible which was printed in two
volumes between 1452 and 1455.
Watch…
Gutenberg's Type, Circa 1440
Johann Gutenberg's type closely
follows the style of handwriting
practiced in Germany at the time.
Gutenberg popularized the process
of printing from moveable type in
1440… one of the most monumental
achievements of our civilization.
The visual is a page from his famous
42-line Bible which was printed in two
volumes between 1452 and 1455.
Watch…
• The history of posters
can be traced as far back
as the 15th century, when
artisans handmade each
and every sheet.
• While a painstaking
process indeed, it ushered
in a new age of providing
news, announcements, and
other information to
passers-by on the streets.
FREEDOM OF PRESS & THE RISE
OF INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
• In 1789, the French
revolution caused a
virtual explosion in the
field of communications.
• The industrial rise of the 19th
century ushered in the
beginnings of mechanization,
which opened a new era in
publishing thanks to this guy…
• The French began to
experience "Freedom of
the Press", and all of the
newspapers began
displaying printed
advertisements.
•
Aloysius Senefelder
THE RISE OF THE PRINTING PRESS
• The art of Lithography
was invented by a
Czech named
Aloysius Senefelder
in 1798 in Austria.
By 1848, the process had
been refined to the
point that it was
possible to print 10,000
sheets per an hour
THE RISE OF THE PRINTING PRESS
• Like most print media, graphic arts
were dependent on the invention of
the printing press. This allowed for
the mass production of all shapes
and sizes of posters as well.
• The technique that is used to print
posters, is called LITHOGRAPHY
• This is printing by placing ink on a
series of wood or metal ("lithos")
raised portions of a carved, etched, or
cast block.
A very early Printing Press
THE RISE OF THE PRINTING PRESS
This direct process captures the artist's true
intention, however the final printed image is in
reverse. The images and lettering needed to be
drawn backwards, often reflected in a mirror or
traced backwards on a transfer paper.
A distinct advantage of lithography was the
ability to hand draw letters, opening the field of
type design to endless styles.
THE RISE OF THE PRINTING PRESS
•
Raised
lettering…
•
Originally made
of wood, then
later in lead
BEGINNING OF PRINTED
COMMUNICATION - BROADSIDES
• Printed on one side only, broadsides
are used to issue public decrees,
governmental notifications and a
host of commercial and private
announcements.
• Early broadsides were quickly and crudely
produced in large quantities and
distributed freely in town squares,
taverns, and churches.
• Broadsides were intended to have
an immediate impact and then to be
discarded.
BEGINNING OF PRINTED
COMMUNICATION - BROADSIDES
• Broadsides were meant to be read
from a distance and therefore
required large type.
• Metal type could not be cast much larger
than an inch and still retain the flat
surface required for letterpress relief
printing.
• Commercial pressure for large type was
answered with the invention of a system
for wood type production. In 1827 Darius
Wells (1800-1875) invented a special
wood drill, the lateral router, capable of
cutting letters on type-high end-cut wood
blocks.
BEGINNING OF PRINTED
COMMUNICATION - BROADSIDES
BEGINNING OF PRINTED
COMMUNICATION - BROADSIDES