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Researched by Danielle G. |
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Dedication
I
would like to dedicate she told me all about my project to Leigh
Maxwell, because I wouldn’t have my very favorite paragraph without
her: How the press works.
Why I Chose This Topic
There
are several reasons I decided to take this opportunity to study all
about the printing press. First, I read a book called The Story
Of Libraries. I was very surprised when on the first day of SOAR
on the wall was the printing press! I figured it must be very
famous and that’s how I chose my project. Remember, this is only one
reason. Another reason is because I always wanted to study something
not very many people know about, and none of my friends knew what the
printing press was!
Research Summary
Introduction
Get
ready to learn about the world of printing as we go back to the 1450’s.
Now here are just some small facts you NEED to know. Johannes Gutenberg
invented the press. Also, Gutenberg had many factories. Because of
this, the first complete book was the Gutenberg bible.
The beginning
As you all know, the press wasn’t
the beginning. This would mean Gutenberg was born at the beginning of
books. Lets go back, oh say, 500 years before Johannes. Back then was
the early Chinese printing block. It was like a stamp. All you do is
get a block with the letters on it, and then you press it down just
like that. Then there was wood block printing. Same thing but made out
of wood! It’s what made the Diamond Sutra. Then we have something
a little bit different, metal block printing.
Johannes Gutenberg
Johannes
Gutenberg was born in Mainz, Germany, in1398. More towards his
middle age he was a goldsmith. When Gutenberg made the press in
the 1450’s, he opened many print shops, so he could make the
Gutenberg Bible. Sadly, Gutenberg died in his birthplace, in1468.
Stages of changes
First, Gutenberg made the printing press.
Then way later in 1810, Frederick Koenig created the steam press.
Now the steam press could print twice the old speed, 200-400 pages
would be the minimum and maximum for one hour! Then a guy named Richard
Hoe made the rotary press in 1845, what we use today. Even though
we use the rotary press, there are many other presses. There are
newspaper presses, bottle presses, and many more. All those people who
don’t believe me, newspaper didn’t come from thin air.
Today’s Press
Today’s
press is the rotary press. Inside the press are two rollers, type, and
you’ll need a computer. We’ll get more into that in the next
paragraph. It is used for newspapers, stationary, books, and much
more. Almost everything you touch had to have some sort of printing
involved. But we don’t only have the rotary press as today’s press.
There are newspaper presses and can presses. A can press prints on the
can! Book presses is one, too. These three were only some presses. Just
think of how many are out there!
Inside the press
I
was amazed by how the press works! First, there’s a rough draft
of the newspaper called a plate, only using blue ink. Then put the
paper between the rollers, and it goes through something called the
tower that goes into the basement. The people that work in the
pre-press (the people that put coupons and pictures together) would be
done and the paper would be on the way.
Conclusion
Every
time you print, hopefully you’ll think back to your time travel to the
1450’s. Now we know the real story, and we don’t have to wonder.
Johannes Gutenberg started it. And just look at how many presses we
have today! Next time you read something, just think of how it got
printed.
How I Evaluate My Entire Project
(1) How thorough and complete was my project?
I
think I was pretty thorough, but not fully thorough because when I
edited my project, I had a lot crossed out and I needed to have more
research.
(2) What would I do differently if starting over again?
I would put my project in better words.
(3) What major strengths does my project have?
A major strength is my paragraph about how the newspaper press works!
(4) What weaknesses or problems does my project have?
I think a weakness is the way I put my sentences.
(5) What did I learn to do better during this project?
I learned how to take notes and write reports better.
(6) In what ways did I enjoy my study and work?
I enjoyed taking notes and making a display.
Who Helped Me With My Project
I would like to thank the following people:
Leigh Maxwell
Mrs. Heitman
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