Printing Films

Feb 8, 2026 · 23m

Starting out with the funkiest song the late 1960s could create, the film shows a fashion photo shoot for the title screen of the film. It shows all of the processes involved in making the final print including photography, laser scanning, platemaking, printing, and trimming. The film features the printing of The Wall Street Journal in California showing the way that the articles are transferred using phone, microwave, and paper-punch tape. All forms of printing are displayed from small, letterpress jobs to printing on pharmaceutical drugs and packaging for toothpaste. Beginning at 17:41, there is a five minute “music video” (for lack of a better term) for printing that has the grooviest pan flute and beats you’ve ever heard. Worth watching just for this! Year: 1969

Feb 15, 2026 · 15m

Are you a printer, typesetter, binder, screen printer, or image scanner in need of help with technical problems and are your shirt collars wide-enough to prove that it is the 1970s? If so, this is the film for you. The Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF) has a telephone hotline that you can call for technical assistance and problem-solving to help you stay profitable in the printing business. The GATF was established in Pittsburgh, PA to help over 1,200 printers and reproduction facilities of all sizes deal with common issues affecting production and to increase profitability. They offered on-call trouble shooting, research and development in new technologies and tactics, and education to keep you and your staff informed and abreast of all new ideas in printing. Ca. 1970

Feb 22, 2026 · 25m

For anyone interested in seeing the entire process of type manufacturing, this is one of the best films made. Created by the American Type Founders Company, this film features the appearance and narration of Ben Grauer, a famous NBC radio personality explaining his love of books and modern printing. The history of printing is briefly shown followed by showing the in-depth process of matrix and punch making. The film shows the most in-depth and visually easy-to-understand process of making type. It follows the entire process of type making from original design (showcasing Lydian by Warren Chappell) to pattern making, punch cutting, matrix making, and the use of the Benton engraving machine. Year: 1948

Mar 1, 2026 · 24m

This film was created by the International Typographic Union to encourage their members to become more comfortable with the new “Cold Type” technology revolutionizing the typesetting industry. Starting with an explanation of the hot-metal process, they feature the Intertype Fotosetter and then go through the entire photo-composition process. The film shows camera work, stripping, chemical development, and paste-up. It ends with an aerial view of the ITU building in Colorado Springs, CO. Ca. 1965

Mar 8, 2026 · 17m

A film created by the International Typographic Union to display the advancing electronic technology being introduced to typesetting and printing. It specifically demonstrates “A System to Computerize Advertising Composition at the Washington Evening Star” in Washington D.C. This film shows an IBM 1620 computer and additional storage disks working with Linofilm typesetters that were installed in July of 1963. There is a very in-depth explanation of the process of early computer and film typesetting. Additionally, new forms of plate making with cameras and photo composition are shown. Year: 1966

Mar 15, 2026 · 22m

A film created by The New York Times to show how the newspaper goes from idea to printed product in 1982. With A.M. Rosenthal as the Executive Editor, they show the meeting of editors and leaders of different parts of the newspaper deciding what goes on the front page. The film also features foreign corespondents and photographers covering the 1982 war between Israel and Lebanon and PLO refugee camps. The Washington D.C. Bureau is shown to demonstrate the depth of experience and knowledge of the reporters and photographers. The editorial staff is shown deciding on the often-controversial editorial articles published. Many other departments of the newspaper are shown including the financial section, arts critics, police reporters, city reporters, architecture section, etc. Year: 1982

Mar 22, 2026 · 26m

“George Malone sees the world through many windows” but the window that allows him to see the most is his daily newspaper The New York Times. The film tracks back the history of the newspaper and relates it to “today” in 1965. It shows the many departments and people involved in creating one of the most well-known newspapers in the world. There is an extensive display of the various foreign offices in London, Paris, Brussels, Rome, Bombay, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. The end of the film shows the production process and schedule for printing a new edition every day. Year: 1965

Mar 29, 2026 · 19m

“Where does print come from?” is the question asked at the beginning of the film and it attempts to show the process of printing from press to final product. Using a few of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation “Graphic Communications Through the Ages” series of oil paintings, the film shows the history and technological improvements of printing. A simple explanation of offset-lithography is given along with views of large, web presses, bindery techniques, and paper making. Created by the Printing Industries Association of Texas, the film ends with a pitch for people to join the printing industry and get jobs that will eventually become high-paying and skilled. Year: 1976

Apr 5, 2026 · 18m

Using the Kimberly-Clark Corporation “Graphic Communications Through the Ages” series of oil paintings, this film goes through the history of printing starting with paper making in Egypt and shows most of the major advancements in printing technology from Gutenberg to Mergenthaler to Frederic Goudy. At 16:30, there is a small break from the oil paintings to “modern day” footage before the film ends. Year: 1973

Apr 12, 2026 · 12m

This silent, black & white training film was created for The Lakeside Press in Chicago, Illinois. Using title cards, the film shows the step-by-step method of properly assembling hand type in a composing stick, kerning, display line composition, initials, cutting leads and slugs, spacing, and proofing. This is a great film for learning the basics of hand composition for letterpress printing. Ca: 1940s

Apr 19, 2026 · 12m

A very easy to understand and simplified explanation of how printing began. The film starts with the beginning of writing and continues to tell the story of printing including Gutenberg, punch cutting, iron hand presses, hot-metal type casting, high-speed rotary presses, and newspaper production. Year: 1950

Apr 26, 2026 · 29m

This film, created by Horan Engraving, shows the entire process of photoengraving. Starting with taking a photo, it shows camera work, engraving, etching, plate preparation, touch-up, zinc & copper plates, one-color process, four-color process and more. If you want to learn how a photograph becomes a printing plate and a final print in a newspaper or book, look no further. Ca. 1950s

May 3, 2026 · 22m

This silent, black & white film was made as an in-house film for the New York Telephone Company and shows the process of updating the Manhattan telephone directory daily and then incorporating them into the massive yearly book. It describes how a Linotype works, shows proofreading, lockup, printing, binding, paper cutting, stereotyping, and gluing. There are also some pretty goofy title cards and a crazy final scene with a guy smoking in a mirror for no apparent reason. Ca. 1940s