PRINTING AND BINDING

Gutenberg, the German genius, invented the hand pressed printing machine. Printing technology spread all over Europe before 1500. During the Portuguese colonial period, the Jesuit friars erected the first printing press at Ambazhakad (old Malabar) in 1556. “Doctrina Christum,” a Latin book by St. Francis Xavier was the first publication from Ambazhakad.

Later mechanized printing was introduced which was four times faster than the handpress.  It was very different from the process used in Gutenberg's workshop. In 1844, Richard Hoe invented the rotary press. Malayala Manorama, Mathruboomi - the daily news papers and S.T. Reddiar & Co., was the front runners in installing rotary press for their printing. Larger rotary presses, containing multiple machines, made printing large newspaper and magazine runs possible.

In 1980, John and his brother Joseph Thayamkeril (East backwater-front) installed a Treadle Letter Press machine for printing and started their humble beginning. They canvassed a lot of business from statutory corporations, government institutions and other private companies. It gave a lot of job opportunities in printing and binding to women of this Island.  In 1988 they mounted a cylinder printing machine. As their volume of business increased they set up an off-set printing machine in 1996. In 1997 they modernized their industry by installing a computer.

Antony Chakkalakal and his children were noted binders of this locality.

Suresh is a veteran entrepreneur in printing works. In 1995 he imported a small, new branded offset machine from USA and commenced printing works, “Jasmine Graphics,” at Valanjabalam in Cochin City. As the volume of business increased, he bought two more machines from Bombay and thereafter in 2006,  he added a few more from the local market. His business is thriving. He is the son of Sarojini Teacher and Gopi (Eramalloor) who resides in Jasmine at Kumbalam. Radhakrishnan Kannambilly is his manager and Joseph @ Appachan Kallarackal Kumbalam assists him in dealings with his customers. Shinu Lawrence, a popular graphic designer, does the DTP and other design works for the printing press. They too modernised their printing with the arrival of computers.

This is the age of computers. During the last decade of the 20^th century, late Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi took the decisive step and permitted computers to enter the Indian market. A lot of companies have flooded the Indian markets with varied brands of desktops, laptops, tabs, smart phone computers and other micro-computers. The internet has further widened its scope. We have reached a stage where we cannot exist without a computer. Even primary school students have computers and have mastered the use. Most of the houses have printers and other gadgets too. Screen printing or serigraph printing and digital printing are the new versatile printing techniques of the present day. The government is also making their buck by imposing heavy import and excise duties on these various devices. How can the commoner buy the computer ink? The price of ink is too prohibitive.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

An autobiography

by

Joseph J. Thayamkeril

Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.

josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com

josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com