FIND OUT MORE. Design 326 • Industrial Revolution 418–419 • Reformation 399
FIND OUT MORE. First Scripts 369 • Writers 348
Printing
Printing is the mass production of the
written word. The Chinese invented
wooden print blocks in the 8th
century. In the West, all books
were written by hand until
Johann Gutenberg invented
movable type around 1450.
WHAT IS CREATIVE WRITING?
Creative writing is using the imagination to write
stories, describe events and places, and express
thoughts. It is different from writing that records facts
and events, such as history or biography. Creative
writing includes poems, plays, short stories, and
novels, and may also include diaries.
WILL HANDWRITING ALWAYS EXIST?
Writing has changed throughout history. Early writing
was created by scratching in clay. Ancient Egyptians
used reed brushes dipped in ink made of carbon, soot,
or ochre. None of these forms exist today, and word
processing may one day replace handwriting.
Latin script describes the life
and death of Saint SebastianDecorated initial with an image
inside opens the pageBOOK OF HOURS 3
These medieval prayer books,
often made by monks, were for
private reading and meditation at
various hours of the day. They
were beautifully written on
parchment (animal skin) and
decorated in brightly coloured
inks to glorify God. This one was
created in 1470 for a French
noblewoman, Margaret de Foix.HOW DID PRINTING DEVELOP?
Movable metal type – letter moulds that can be put
together to make words, then taken apart and reused
– made printing faster. Combined with the spread of
literacy and the new affordability of books, this made
information and literature available to the masses.
Today, computers and digital technology have replaced
movable type and speeded up printing again.4 MAYAN WRITING
Mayan writing was hieroglyphic,
using pictures or symbols to
represent objects, ideas,
or sounds. This hieroglyph
shows four pictograms.Writing
Before writing, people had to store information in their
heads. Writing was invented to record information so
that it could be passed on to other people. Later it
became a means of personal expression.
WHAT IS LITERACY?
Literacy is the ability to read, write, and use language.
Without this skill, people are at a disadvantage. They
cannot find out information from written sources,
such as books or the Internet, and they cannot fill
in forms, or write letters, text messages, and emails.1 EARLY PRINTING SHOP
This painting shows a 17th-
century printing shop in France.
The printers first arranged the
type (letters) into words on a
frame, then added ink. The paper
and type were put into a wooden
press and squeezed together by
turning a screw so that the ink
printed on the paper.
1 TYPEFACES
The alphabet has been designed in many different styles, known as
typefaces. Historic typefaces tend to have more detail, while modern
styles are simpler and easier to read. Each typeface has a name.T
OLD ENGLISH TIMES UNIVERSE7
This hieroglyph was carved in
stone in the 7th century CE at the
royal palace at Palenque, MexicoBorders contain elaborate colour
illustrations, such as flowersT
writing
printing