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Origin and history of printer

printer(n.)

"person who prints books, etc.; one who understands and carries on the business of typographical printing," c. 1500, agent noun from print (v.). Earlier as "a signet or seal" (early 15c.). As a mechanical device that prints, presses, or stamps by impression, from 1859, originally in telegraphy. In the computer sense, from 1946.

The Printer's bible (c. 1702) was so called from the erroneous substitution of printers for princes in Psalm cxix.161, which led to the memorable misreading:

Printers have persecuted me without a cause.

also from c. 1500

Entries linking to printer

print(v.)

mid-14c., prenten "to make an impression, press upon or into" (as with a seal, stamp, etc.), from print (n.). Meaning "to set a mark on any surface" (including by writing) is attested from late 14c. Meaning "to run off on a press, make a copy or copies of by impression" is recorded from 1510s (Caxton, 1474, used enprynte in this sense).

In reference to textiles, 1580s. The photography sense of "produce a positive image from a negative" is recorded from 1851 (the noun in this sense is from 1853). Meaning "to write in imitation of typography" is from 1801.

He always prints, I know, 'cos he learnt writin' from the large bills in the bookin' offices. [Dickens, "Pickwick Papers," 1837]

The meaning "to record (someone's) fingerprints" is from 1952. Related: Printed; printing.

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    copy
    Sense extended 15c. to any specimen of writing, especially MS given to a printer to be reproduced in type (Caxton, late 15c...Copy-boy, one who takes copy from the writer to the printer, is from 1888....
    Baskerville
    typeface style, 1802 (the type was created in the 1750s), named for John Baskerville (1706-1775), British type-founder and printer...
    tape
    1932; from earlier meaning "device for recording data on ticker tape" (1892), from tape in the sense of "paper strip of a printer...
    thirty
    The symbol -30- as printer and telegrapher's code to indicate the last sheet or line of copy or a dispatch is recorded from...
    italic
    So called because it was introduced in 1501 by Aldus Manutius, printer of Venice (who also gave his name to Aldine), and...
    guess
    The spelling with gu- is late 16c., sometimes attributed to Caxton and his early experience as a printer in Bruges....
    dingbat
    [from an Illinois newspaper's account of a production delay caused by a Linotype machine breakdown, reprinted in Inland Printer...
    tester
    "one who tests, puts to trial, or assays," 1660s, agent noun from test (v.). Earlier "a crucible" for trying metals by heating them (mid-15c.)...."canopy over a four-post bed," mid-14c., from Medieval Latin testerium, from testera "head-stall" of the bridle of a horse, extended u
    street
    Middle English strete, "road in a city or town," also "road from one city or town to another," from Old English stret (Mercian, Kentish), stræt (West Saxon) "street, high road," from Late Latin strata, used elliptically for via strata "paved road." Latin strata is fem. past parti
    machine
    1540s, "structure of any kind," from Middle French machine "device, contrivance," from Latin machina "machine, engine, military machine; device, trick; instrument" (source also of Spanish maquina, Italian macchina), from Greek makhana, Doric variant of Attic mēkhanē "device, tool

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