This is a remarkable book. Beautifully produced and reasonably priced, it gives a clear and concise description of all the processes ever used to reproduce an image - from the earliest techniques to the latest digital printing methods. Excellent illustrations throughout make it a book you can dip into as well as a handy reference source.

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Product Description

The Printed Picture traces the changing technology of picture-making from the Renaissance to the present, focusing on the vital role of images in multiple copies. It surveys printing techniques before the invention of photography; the photographic processes that began to appear in the early 19th century; the marriage of printing and photography; and the digital inventions of our time. From woodblocks to chromolithographs, from engravings to bar codes, from daguerreotypes to colour photographs, the book succinctly examines the full range of pictorial processes. Exploring how pictures look by describing how they are made, author Richard Benson reaches fascinating and original conclusions about what pictures can mean. Although many of the techniques he discusses have been used to create exceptional works of art, Benson concentrates on the typical, everyday pictures that have played and continue to play such a prominent role in our lives. Presented as a series of one-page essays opposite the pictures they examine, the book retains the lively, engaging style of the informal lectures through which Benson developed his ideas over the course of thirty years at Yale University. Rooted in hands-on descriptions of practical techniques, The Printed Picture offers a rich and imaginative interpretation of the enormous cultural and social influence of multiple images.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #209106 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 338 pages

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Customer Reviews

Just picture it
The Printed Picture may become the standard reference for anyone interested in the history of image creation either as a single copy or in millions. Richard Benson (I'm not related) is to be congratulated in writing about a quite technical subject in a very lucid and accessible way.

The Product Description above will give you an idea about the book's scope. One of the fascinating insights that will intrigue you is that colour printing is easier to do than printing in black. This interested me because I buy a lot of black and white photo art books and the problem is that one pass of black printing really can't realistically reproduce all the tonal values of a photo. The solution is to use black and one other ink, usually a grey to capture the lighter areas in a photo. The several hundred illustrations throughout the book show the continuing attempts, over the decades, to reproduce images as faithfully as possible and in multiple copies.

The book is bang up to date with comprehensive sections on color copiers, inkjet printing and scanner technology. The section on Indigo printing might be the way of the future because the technology allows a limited number of copies to be printed and in good quality, too.

I think it is worth mentioning the quality of the writing. It is based on Benson's lectures, over the years, at Yale University and comes across in an easy conversational style that is a joy to read. As well as the writing he also designed the book. It is, as you would expect, beautifully printed on matt art stock with a 200+ screen.

If you work in graphic arts or are just image curious The Printed Picture will explain the background to something that is a part of everyday life.

'The Printed Picture'
This book is an excellent resource for anyone studying graphic design work and/or just simply photography. Gives an in-depth view of the `World of Printing', on how images were produced over the last century.

On The Printed Picture
A heavy and beautifully printed tome which will take the reader from the beginnings of printing images (and text) on two dimensional substrates to the present day. All manner of photography is covered. This book is encyclopedic. A fine jumping off point for those interested in printing in all its forms. A good day's read. A textbook. Read it and learn. Reread it. It is an A1 reference work deserving a place on any bookshelf.