Ancient Chinese invented printing technology.  Wood block printing appeared in Tang Dynasty in the beginning of the 7th century.  Movable type printing invented by Bi Sheng appeared in Song Dynasty in the beginning of the 11th century.  In the 15th century, Gutenberg invented movable type and printing press in Germany.  The printing press was manually-operated screw extrusion press for crushing grape to make wine.  And in Gutenberg’s time, printers also used simple manually operated tool for type casting.

 

With the development of industrialization and commodity economy in Europe, the printing press invented by Gutenberg was developed into printing equipment propelled by electricity, called letter press.  In those days, printing mechanized production was realized, printing industry began to form, and printing industrial revolution took place in the west.

 

Because of the impact of feudal society, letter press was introduced into China until the Opium War II.  It is 400 years later than the west.  The wars in semi-colonial and semi-feudal society lasted for hundreds of years in China, so printing was impacted seriously and restricted sharply in those days.  Meanwhile, printing became the tool for propaganda and education in wartime, so it couldn’t develop in an all-round way.

 

In the early period of the People’s Republic of China, there were only 12 state-owned Xinhua Printing Houses and some private printing shops in China.  The total amount of usage of paper and board for printing was 228 thousand tons in 1949, and the total amount of usage was 80 million tons in 2008, which is 350 times of the amount in 1949.  At that time, there was hardly any printing machinery factory in China, just 65 small repairing and manufacturing factories and 318 employed people.  In 1949, 47 tons of printing machinery was manufactured, which is less than the weight of a four-color full-size offset printing press today.  As to printing material, small scale production of low-end printing paper and ink could be produced at that time.

 

It is meaningful to look back the development of China’s printing industry during past 60 years when celebrating the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.  China’s printing industry developed quickly during past 60 years.  China’s printing machinery industry started from zero and reached the development that the west society spent more than 500 years to achieve.  Nowadays, China has become one of the strongest countries in printing industry.  There were 2 stages in the glorious development: I. the stage of planned economy, about 30 years, the foundation for printing technology and equipment industry were established;  II. the stage of market economy, about 30 years, printing industry developed quickly and began to march on to digital printing and web-based paper press, the second revolution of printing technology and equipment has been realized, China began to make effort to be printing leader in the world.

 

                  

The aim of printing equipment plan was to satisfy the need of China’s printing.  At that time, primary mission of printing was publication printing, including book, magazine and newspaper.  The development of printing equipment mainly met the need of the development of publication printing.   

 

 

After the founding of new China, the socialist transformation was carried out in China’s printing equipment manufacturing.

 

In 1949, the machinery maintenance department of Shanghai People’s Printing House was amalgamated with the machinery maintenance department of Shanghai Mint, and called Metal Processing Branch of Shanghai People’s Printing House.  It had 63 employees and produced accessories and parts for printing machinery.  In 1954, the factory was renamed Shanghai People’s Metal Processing Factory, and produced two-revolution letterpress machine.  In 1958, Shanghai People’s Metal Processing Factory was amalgamated with the Second Factory of China Steel Machinery, called Shanghai People’s Machinery Factory.

 

In 1952, 22 metal processing factories in Beijing were lumped together into one factory, called People’s Machinery General Factory of Beijing.  It had 874 employees and mainly produced flat-bed press, hand-caster, cutting machine, book sewer, and so on.  In 1953, People’s Machinery General Factory of Beijing was superrised by the First Ministry of Machinery Industry, and renamed Beijing People’s Machinery Factory.

 

In 1956, many state-private joint printing machinery enterprises and small private printing machinery enterprises lumped together, and established a number of state-private joint printing machinery enterprises.  Some state-private joint enterprises were comprised of dozens of small private factories in Shanghai, such as the Second Factory of China Steel Machinery, Fengyong Printing Material Factory, Jianye Yihua Machinery Factory, Yangtse Machinery Factory, Wannian Machinery Factory, Qianxin Machinery Factory, Ruitai Machinery Factory and Dechang Machinery Factory.  Harbin Printing Machinery Repair Factory was state-private joint enterprise, which was comprised of 8 small private factories.  Xinguang Printing Machinery Factory of Changchun was state-private joint enterprise, which was comprised of 18 small private factories.

 

In 1956, total output of printing machinery was 903 tons, which was 19 times of total output in 1949.

 

 

After socialist transformation, there was a huge increase in productivity of printing machinery.  China’s printing machinery manufacturing developed quickly and a series of new products had been trial-produced successfully during 1956 to 1966.  However, most of new products were imitated from design of the developed countries. 

 

In 1952, the first LB401(RP-64) web rotary newspaper press was trial-produced successfully by Shanghai Private Jingcheng Machinery Factory.  In the same year, 500t direct pressure press and auxiliary equipment of platemaker were also trail-produced successfully by this factory.  In 1957, the Second Factory of China Steel Machinery trail-produced SL201 rotary magazine press.  During 1956 to 1966, a series of new products were trail-produced successfully by Beijing People’s Machinery Factory, including: TZ202 folio flat-bed press, TE102 automatic full-size two-revolution press, TP1101 full-size single-side rotary press, LB404 newspaper rotary press, ZY102 full-size blade folder, QS-01 three-sided trimming machine and J2201 folio two-color offset press.  During 1958 to 1966, a series of new products were trail-produced by Shanghai People’s Machinery Factory, including: LB203 newspaper rotary press, LB2405 two-floor two-unit newspaper rotary press, LB4405 two-floor four-unit newspaper rotary press, W1101 full-size gravure press and 7 ancillary equipments.

 

China’s total output of printing machinery was 25062 tons during 1949 to 1965.  This statistics data and a series of new products indicated that the design and production of China’s printing machinery had got preliminary development.

 

             

During the period of the cultural revolution (1966-1976), China’s printing technology and equipment couldn’t meet the need of printing a great deal of Chairman Mao’s works, and it promoted the development of printing equipment manufacturing.

 

In 1967, the First Ministry of Machinery Industry decided to build 3 new printing equipment factories, including Xianyang Caster Factory, Shaanxi Printing Machinery Factory, Hunan Printing Machinery Factory.  In 1968, the ministry decided to rebuild and extend 7 printing machinery factories, including Taihang Printing Machinery Factory, Pingliang Printing Machinery Factory, Yinbin Printing Machinery Factory, Shangqiu Printing Machinery Factory, Xinshao Printing Machinery Factory, Chongqing Printing Machinery Factory and Beijing People’s Machinery Factory (the depart of character casting).  During this period, a number of factories turned over to printing machinery production in many places of China.

 

During these 10 years, Shanghai People’s Machinery Factory successfully trail-produced LB205 miniature newspaper rotary press; Beijing People’s Machinery Factory successfully trail-produced J2106 (J2108A) folio monochrome offset press, DJ01 full automatic perfect binding line, AJ401 web-fed four-color single side gravure press; Taihang Printing Machinery Factory developed 4050 conditioner; Yingkou Printing Equipment Factory developed WF405 powderless etcher, STP801 resin plate coated exposure device, SC401 resin plate wash-out machine and ST401 resin plate coater; Shanghai First Printing Machinery Factory developed TE105 automatic all size two-revolution press, TY401 quarter drum cylinder press and TY 4201 quarter two-color flat-bed press. Shanxi Printing Machinery Factory developed BX741 single-side four-color or two-side two-color plastic film printing press; Shanghai Stitching Machine Factory developed PDQ-02 saddle stitcher; Shanghai Third Printing Machinery Factory developed 5SWJ five-color copperplate stamp rotary press; Weihai Printing Machinery Factory developed TZ202-A-1 folio stop cylinder press; Yibin Printing Machinery Factory developed PY440E roll assembler; Zibo Printing Machinery Factory developed ZX103A full-size overhead camera; Shanghai Cutting Machine Factory developed QZ104hydraulic clamping, QZ-02 three-sided cutting machine; Changchun Printing Machinery Factory developed QZH1-1A full-size cutting machine, ZX201 folio high-speed folder, PY03 two-floor roller folder; Harbin Printing Machinery Factory developed TZ401 quarter stop cylinder press, TZ201 folio stop cylinder press; Xianyang Caster Factory, Harbin Printing Machinery Factory, Chenzhou Printing Machinery Factory successfully trail-produced ZD201automatic single type caster, and so on.

 

China had 50 printing machinery factories till 1957, and 24,000 employees.  During 1966 to 1976, 62,694 printing machines were offered to printing industry, about 114,049 tons. 

 

 

According to the requirement of quickening the pace of printing technical reconstruction, ministry of the first machine building industry asked printing machinery manufacturing develop 28 kinds of new products in 1974, including color scanner, automatic filmsetter, electronic engraver, automatic caster, two-side four-color web rotary offset press, color newspaper rotary offset press, important printing auxiliary equipment (such as full automatic cutter), important testing device (such as densitometer), and a series of finishing equipment.  At the same time, the system for Chinese character information processing and laser phototypesetting (748 program) had been listed in national key projects, which played a key role to the second revolution of China’s printing technology industry.

 

Shanghai Stitching Machine Factory successfully trail-produced JKZ-01 hard-cover book production line; Shanghai People Machinery Factory successfully trail-produced color newspaper rotary offset press; Beijing People’s Machinery Factory successfully trail-produced two-side four-color rotary offset press, LP1103 rotary letterpress; Hunan Printing Machinery Factory successfully trail-produced TLB2402 vertical color rotary offset press, BF01 newspa of color scanner; Chongqing Printing Machinery Factory successfully trail-produced QFC vertical color separation enlarger; Shanghai Printing Material Factory successfully trail-produced CX2 folio film wash-out machine; Zibo Printing Machinery Factory successfully trail-produced YX101 PS plate developer; Xinshao Printing Machinery Factory successfully trail-produced complex of sewer and folder with plastic wire; Changchun Printing Machinery Factory successfully trial-produced BT201 two-up complex of book covering machine and blocking press; Guangzhou Jinxing Instrument Factory successfully trial-produced transmission density and reflection densitometer; General Machinery Research Institute of the Ministry of Machine Building Industry successfully trial-produced optical & mechanical automatic phototypesetting machine; Shanghai Labor Instrument and Meter Factory successfully trial-produced manual phototypesetting machine.  These products mentioned upon filled the gap of China’s printing machinery, simultaneity, manufacturing these new products fostered key technicians for China’s printing equipment industry and laid a solid foundation for researching and developing new printing machinery in China.

 

Since 1949, by persistent effort in 30 years, the goal of self-producing machinery and equipment by China’s modern printing industry had been basically achieved.  During these 30 years, there wasn’t any new international standard invention appeared in China’s printing machinery manufacturing, at the same time, the new products trail=produced by China were already used by developed country for a long time, and most of which were eliminated soon.  But the complete industrial system established during these 30 years, provided solid foundation for great development in future.