Graphic Design History to 1990 (Based on Meggs, P. B., & Purvis, A. W. (2016). Meggs history of graphic design. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.)

By mwhitlow
  • 10,000 BCE

    Cave Drawings

    These primitive drawings were the first recorded method of communication that used art.
  • 105

    Paper is Invented

    The Chinese were credited with inventing paper. Graphic design before computers was dependent on paper.
  • 1450

    Printing Press is Invented

    Gutenburg is credited with creating the first printing press for books.

  • Industrial Revolution

    The inventions of the revolution would greatly advance production methods and graphic design communication.

  • Lithography is Developed

    Lithography is invented and it streamlines the process of making copies through the use of printing plates.

  • Halftones are Invented

    Halftones allow printers to print photos with full ranges of tone, thus greatly increasing the quality of prints and design options.

  • Typsetting is Invented

    The typewriter would revolutionize communication through graphics and print. The machine opened typing up to a wider group of people.

  • The Word Graphic Design is First Used

    W.A. Dwiggins, in an article for the Boston Evening Transcript the word "Graphic Design" for the first time.

  • Times New Roman Font is Invented

    The Times of London and Stanley Morison designed a font that would be used and over-used for decades to come.

  • Apple Creates Macintosh

    The Mac would become synonymous with design due to its ability to show bitmap graphics.

  • Photoshop is Invented

    Forever changing the course of Graphic Design history, Photoshop version 1 was released. Design and photography haven't been the same or real ever since.

  • The World Wide Web and HTML are Invented

    Communication over the web would revolutionize graphic design in much the same way the industrial revolution did. The internet changed everything and it continues to evolve to this day.