Bondruckers

Bondruckers were a type of printing press that utilized a cylinder, or roller, to press paper against an inked form. This differed from earlier flatbed presses where a flat platen was used. The introduction of the cylinder press, often referred to as a rotary press, marked a significant advancement in printing technology. These machines were capable of much higher speeds and greater output than their predecessors.

The concept of using a cylinder for printing can be traced back to the early 19th century. Various inventors experimented with different designs. In 1814, Friedrich Koenig and Andreas Friedrich Bauer patented a cylinder press that was one of the first to be commercially successful. Their machine could print at a rate significantly faster than hand-operated presses, paving the way for mass production of newspapers and books.

Later developments in the 19th century saw the invention of the rotary printing press, where both the type and the paper were on cylinders. This further increased printing speeds. Bondruckers, in their various iterations, played a crucial role in the growth of literacy and the dissemination of information during the Industrial Revolution and beyond. They enabled the widespread availability of printed materials, influencing everything from journalism to literature and education.