Printing is generally held to be one of the most important inventions of all time and to have helped change the course of history. It can be described as a means of giving form to and multiplying graphic signs and messages, and its extraordinary social, artistic and intellectual impact derives from its technical appropriateness and adaptability.

In this authoritative introduction, Michael Twyman focuses on printing methods and techniques, from the invention of printing in the Far East and in Europe to today's digital revolution, and how they have played a part in shaping their end...