The Evolution Of Visual Communication Design: The Role Of The Colonial Printing Press In Lahore

Abstract

This study discussed how the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century changed communication design, especially through the printing press. The introduction of the printing press brought many new print media formats, which were very significant in Lahore during and after the colonial period. The specimens from the Punjab Government Press are retrieved from the Punjab Government Archives in Lahore. The research is a qualitative analysis of printed specimens developed in the subcontinent and continued to the contemporary period. The research is an exploratory data collection. The specimens are the visual catalogue of the elements that shaped information shared and presented to the public. This includes the typestyles, wood engravings, coat of arms and newspapers. The introduction of photography to the reproduction of illustrations in the newspaper ‘The Illustrated London News’ is studied to understand the context of visual communication evolution and the role of the printing press in Lahore. The archive specimens found during the research are digitally preserved and physical documents are fading away over the stretch of time.