Print publishing

Print publishing is a traditional media sector. It produces physical published products printed on paper for uses including advertising, entertainment and education. A printed poster for a bakery advertises its new opening hours, a crossword magazine entertains readers, and a science workbook helps students learn.

Print publishing now uses computers for writing, editing and design. You might type an article, crop a photograph and arrange the page in design software before sending it to a printer. The computer is a tool in the process, but the final item that reaches the reader is still printed on paper rather than shown only on a screen.

Printing methods

Long print runs use lithographic printing, while short or customised runs use digital printing. A long run means many identical copies are needed. A short run might be a few dozen copies, and a customised run could have different details on each copy.

Comics and graphic novels

Print publishing also produces comics and graphic novels. Comics are similar to magazines, graphic novels are like illustrated books, and comic strips can appear in newspapers. Graphic novels vary in length, artwork and audience. One might use bright, simple panels to retell a folk tale for younger readers, while another could be aimed at older readers and use detailed artwork to explore a historical event, sometimes including adult themes. Even when the pages are created on a computer, the finished product is printed on paper.