Page 9 - DLIS105_REFERENCE_SOURCES_AND_SERVICES

Reference Sources and Services
Notes
4 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY
The impact of this method of printing was of unimaginable dimension. The method spread like
wild fire and by the end of the 15 century some 9,000,000 books were in circulation in Europe, a
th
scene the world has neither seen before nor after [Odhams: p55]. At one stroke, the world saw the
birth and development of the printing industry, printing machinery industry, publishing and book
trade industry, printing ink industry, sudden rise in pulp and paper industry, and so on. It also
created in people a tremendous urge for reading leading to the growth of literacy, educational
institutions like schools, colleges and universities. Moreover, it gave rise to professionals like printers,
composers, proofreaders, publishers, book traders, book binders, and so on.
nd
The print media reigned supreme and unrivalled for about 500 years when at the 2 half of the 20 th
century it faced a formidable challenge from non-print media.
Now, a big question has cropped up before the world whether the print media will be able to
withstand the threat from the non-print media and continue as usual in future, or it will yield to the
pressure and gradually vanish from the scene.
Write a short note on document description.
1.3 Print Media
Printing involves a minimum of four different items:
(i) Manuscript, i.e., the piece of writing to be printed;
(ii) Composition of the matter either by hand or by machine;
(iii) The physical medium, say, paper on which the matter is to be printed; and
(iv) The ink with which the matter to be printed. For illustrations, blocks, etc., are also required.
Products of printing are many and varied. For example, books, periodicals, newspapers,
etc., are all products of printing and all of them represent one medium or the other.
All these products taken together from the print media. Hence, in this unit we are using
the term print media instead of print medium.
1.3.1 Types of Print Media
Print media can also be categorised according to ithe physical formats on which the matter is
printed, say paper, plastic, cloth metal sheet, and so on. In this writing, we are confining ourselves
to such items as are printed on paper such as sheets, leaflets, booklets, books, periodicals and so on.
Printed Sheets
A sheet is a piece of paper of varying sizes on which the written or typed matter is printed. Usually
the printed sheets are used for advertising campaigning and other purposes. The details of a product,
items being sold at shop, the opening of a new shop, showroom, restaurant, stall, etc., are printed
on the sheet and the same is distributed to the prospective customers. Sometimes these sheets are
also pasted on the walls to attract the attention of the public. College and university students and
teachers, politicians of all levels, and many others fighting some election use printed sheets for
propaganda.