Collotype Printing Catalog: Miki Printing Co., Ltd. (Old Book): 1950s-1960s

Collotype is the world's oldest photographic printing technique, invented in France in 1855. In Japan, it was commonly used from the Meiji era through the Taisho and early Showa periods, and the technique can be seen in graduation albums from that time.

Collotype involves coating a glass plate with gelatin, burning a negative onto it to create a plate, and everything was done by hand. The incredibly laborious process of picking up colors one by one from the negative film and drawing them with a pencil was repeated, taking several months to create a plate.

Currently, there are only two companies in the world that perform collotype printing. (One of them is Benrido, a long-established printing company in Kyoto, founded in 1887).

This book is a "Collotype Printing Catalog" created by Miki Printing Co., Ltd., located in Nishikanda, Tokyo, in the 1950s. Naturally, it is a catalog printed using the collotype method. At the beginning, along with an introduction to the company, the complex and elaborate printing process is densely packed onto the pages. It is a commercial catalog, but it is a valuable historical document that conveys the refined enthusiasm of the technicians of the time.

- Title: Collotype: Art Printing; Miki Printing LTD.
- Publisher: Miki Printing Co., Ltd., Nishikanda
- Publication Year: 1950s
- Binding: Softcover (catalog), 12 pages

Remarks: This is an old book with a rich flavor, where even the scratches and stains seem beautiful.

Thank you for viewing.