The following is a very brief history of print-making. Long before the printing press, printmaking was considered a form of communication, not an art medium. The 18th century brought the title of "original" to prints. The 19th Century began the age of signed editions and proof of authenticity. It was a long road before other methods developed. Several cultures aided in the evolution of printmaking. The earliest form of "prints" was primitive engravings and etchings found on bones and cave walls. The duplication of engraved images traces back to the Sumerians and their use of stone cylinders. Egyptians contributed papyrus, which the Chinese later improved on, forming paper. The Japanese produced wood-block rubbings of Buddhist charms that were the first authenticated prints. Europeans were responsible for advances in printmaking as well. In 1436, a German man by the name of Johannes Gutenberg, began building a printing press. The Chinese had already invented a press. However, Gutenbergs press was wooden, and the most important aspect of his invention was that it was the first form of printing to use movable type. At that time it is unlikely that anyone realized this "Master of Modern Printing" was inventing an art form that would be the core of future social and industrial revolutions.

As time marched on, so did the growing demand for art pieces, and the methods and the genres by which they were produced. Technology progressed, including the use of metal plates, photography and digital mediums, expanding the varieties even more. Prints and printmaking have come a long way over the years. Today, they are considered art forms as well as a form a communication; personal expression.  © 2005 Copyright MFA Atelier, Inc. All Rights Reserved.