N300 Mayo Question

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Posted By: hankron

For many inventions, like half-tone printing, there is a large gap between the invention date and its widespread commercial use. For example, the type of half-tone printing for newspapers was invented about 1870, but wasn't first used by a newspaper until the 1880s.

This is because when the process is invented it is more of an in-labratory experiment and doesn't work commercially-- usually due to poor quality coupled with being too expensive and not pracitcal. After years of honing and experimentation, the process becomes workable and inexpensive. Some processes are never used commercially, because they always remain tooexpensive or whatever.

So, at one point, using photographs was a less expensive and the most practical way to make photo-realistic images-- as you suggested. However, as the years passed and the half-tone process advanced, haltone-printing became cheaper-- especially for massive print runs.

This also shows that an technology's date of invention is not a reliable indicator of the technology's widespread use.