If a picture paints a thousand words…

POTD 19Jan11, originally uploaded by andyskelton-a Blog a day http://andrewskelton.net. 

…what could I do with my inkjet printer?

And what would Gutenberg, the originator of the printing press in 1440, make of today’s printing technologies and how quick and easy it is to print out a high resolution image such as today’s Photo Of The Day?

I doubt there’s isn’t any computer owner who doesn’t also have a printer, and when you can buy a photo quality printer for £50, it’s easy to see why. Similar to the spread of Gutenberg’s press, which by 1500 had seen the proliferation of presses through Western Europe as well as resulting in over twenty million volumes being created from them, so has the uptake of home printing.

My original printer, an HP Deskjet 400c was at the time the best there was around for home use but seems rather crude by today’s standards. My current printer, a Canon Pixma Pro 9000 mark II, has eight separate ink cartridges and is capable of printing at 4800×2400 dpi which I still find astounding. Ever more impressive, than the mere statistics, is the print quality and how good photos do look printed out (of course!). I printed this image out on borderless A3 photo paper and examining solid coloured background for signs of pixelisation or digital noise I’m pleased to say none was visible.

Francis Bacon, the stateman, philospher and some say the true author of Shakespear’s work, said of the printing press – “changed the whole face and state of things throughout the world”. Similarly has the home computer, digital camera and home printer for this epoc. What would either of them made of a printing machine capable of printing on metallic coloured disks which in turn is capable of  holding their complete scribings and more. talis est progressio

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