Printing Industries of Utah is pleased to announce that on Wednesday April 14th 2010 Governor Gary Herbert signed Bill H.C.R. 12 officially dedicating the month of April Printing and Graphic Arts Recognition Month! This is a great accomplishment for our industries, and it is our hope that you will take pride in knowing that you are part of a long and influential history. The accounts of our industry are extensive and have served a key role in expanding human life, knowledge, and technology. This month is for all of us!

Quick history of Printing:
The history of Printing and Graphic arts began with the development of written language in early Mesopotamian civilization before 3,000 BCE.

In the 6th century, imagery had been developed as a means of communication. As a result, India adopted the religious practice of copying text by carving stamps and printing on clay tablets. These ability to reproduce religious text in "mass quantities" facilitated the spread of Buddhism to neighboring China, which eventually led to the trade of silk, spices, and religious texts.

Some of the earliest prints date back to 220 CE of the Chinese Han Dynasty where flowers were printed on silk in only three colors. After Buddhism was introduced to the region, the technology of printing on cloth was later adapted to paper through the refined development of Woodblocks. The religious practice of replicating text by woodblock was later appropriated by the Islamic world and Europe. 

In 1439 Johannes Gutenberg of Mainz Germany developed European movable type, in just over a decade the European age of printing began. By 1500 AD, printing presses in operation throughout Europe had already produced more than 20 million volumes. By the end of the 16th century, printing output rose to an estimated 150 to 200 million copies, thus the printing enterprise created an entirely new branch of media known simply as the press.

The Gutenberg press was used for the next 300 years worldwide. In 1796 the Lithograph was developed which allowed for much longer runs than the older physical methods of imaging (embossing, engraving, etc.)  and is a process that is still used today in offset lithography.

In 1804, Friedrich Koenig developed the first steam powered press which doubled printing capacity from Gutenberg's 240 shts/hour to Koenig's 480 shts/hour.

Since then, technological advances such as offset printing, flexography and thermal printing have been developed allowing for an expanse in the way we print, market and communicate. As print and graphics arts continues to change, we hope that this month of recognition will unite us as an industry, so that we may all actively participate in the future outcome of these impressive and long standing professions.