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flatbed press
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Franklin press
Painting of a person with a headscarf reading a newspaper, with blue and white text overlaid reading: How the middle class learned to read.
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Franklin press
Franklin press The Franklin press, an early flatbed press for hand printing

flatbed press

printing
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History

flatbed press, printing press employing a flat surface for the type or plates against which paper is pressed, either by another flat surface acting reciprocally against it or by a cylinder rolling over it. It may be contrasted to the rotary press (q.v.), which has a cylindrical printing surface. The first cylinder flatbed press was built by Friedrich Koenig of Germany and used by The Times of London in 1814.

Painting of a person with a headscarf reading a newspaper, with blue and white text overlaid reading: How the middle class learned to read.
How the Printing Press Revolutionized LiteracyJohannes Gutenberg developed one of the first printing presses in the mid-1400s.
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In the platen press, a flat surface bearing the paper is pressed against the flat, inked printing plate; the two surfaces come together and part with a jawlike motion. Most small hand presses are platen presses. Both cylinder and platen types of flatbed presses operate at speeds of 1,000 to 4,000 impressions per hour.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Meg Matthias.