With all of the buzz and interest that inevitably follows technological innovation, it’s no surprise that conventional, two-dimensional printing may initially seem to be less “exciting” than some of the more flashy products and techniques on display at cutting-edge technology conventions around the world. That being said, printing remains one of the world’s most in-demand industries. Wherever you look, you’re sure to see the results of printing in action, be it on advertisements, documents or clothing. We’ve compiled a list of some more of the more interesting printing facts that you may not have known previously. As you’ll see, there’s still a bit of surprise left in printing! Enjoy!
– Believe it or not, over 900 million inkjet cartridges were sold in 2012. The amount of ink found in this quantity of cartridges is more than enough to fill between four and five Olympic sized swimming pools!
– If you’ve ever wondered how your printing projects compare in size and frequency to the rest of the global printing community, you might find this next statistic to be quite fascinating. In 2005, over 40 trillion pages of paper were used in printing operations.
– The UK is currently the world’s fifth-largest producer of print-related products.
– If you thought that laserjet printing was a relatively recent innovation, think again! The first laserjet printer was debuted in and was designed using a heavily modified photocopier.
– Although you may bemoan the amount of money you spend at the pump, you may be shocked to learn that black printer ink costs nearly $2,700 per gallon!
– It’s common knowledge that technological innovation will always threaten more established industries. That being said, the UK printing industry still employs over 140,000 individuals currently.
– Although printing did not originate in England, we can thank William Caxton for its presence today! Caxton is credited with being the first person to feature a printing press in the country.
– You’ve probably heard of Johann Gutenberg, but you may not be aware of the extent to which he was truly a cutting-edge trendsetter. Gutenberg’s first fully realized printing operations were developed in 1440!
– Printing can occur on both a macro and micro scale. Did you know that the smallest book ever printed is only .74mm X .75mm?
– The UK currently imports approximately 10 million laserjet printing cartridges and 30 million inkjet cartridges on an annual basis!
