It is difficult to imagine anything more pervasive than the printed word, even as you read a text generated in electronic format. Newspapers, magazines, books, labels, wrappers, signs - everywhere we look we see evidence of the printed word.

The printing revolution surrounding the innovations of Johann Gutenburg of Mainz, Germany in 1440 was still in its technological infancy when the printing industry was introduced to Canada in 1751 by Bartholomew Green of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Since that time, technological development resulting from and contributing to the information requirements of all Canadians has seen the printing and allied industries spread to all regions of the nation.

Goss 4-Deck Strightline Newspaper Press

Research performed at Canada Science and Technology Museum on the technological history of printing in Canada has been published in the Collection and Research Division's Transformation Series No. 3, "Technology and Canadian Printing: a history from lead type to lasers," written by Bryan Dewalt. It has identified the important themes in Canadian printing history and will lead future collection development.

The printing technology collection reflects the diversity of equipment and processes that have defined the industry in Canada for nearly 250 years. For most of that time, the letterpress process, or relief printing, was the prevalent method and was used by newspaper and book publishers as well as job printers who produced everything from cards and handbills to tabloids. Well developed in this area, the collection reflects the technological development of letterpress and the businesses that were founded on it.

What has been termed the second printing revolution centered on the invention of the lithographic process in 1798 by Alois Senefelder of Munich, Germany, the potential of which was further enhanced with the invention and refinement of photographic processes from the mid-nineteenth century. This method overtook the letterpress, particularly after World War II.

The collection includes artifacts representative of these processes as well as other printing methods - gravure, screen and electrostatic. The range of materials includes type casters and platemakers, type, printing plates and type storage systems, typesetting equipment, pre-press makeup and lockup tools, and printing presses.

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