Thanks to the invention of letterpress printing, images and words can be spread all over the world. Letterpress printing is one of the four most important inventions of ancient China. It was invented by BiSheng in the Song Dynasty. Since the invention, books can be mass printed and let knowledge to be spread around the world.
圖像和文字得以廣泛流傳，不得不歸功於活字印刷術。活字印刷術是中國四大發明之一，由宋代人畢昇發明，自此活字印刷技術不斷改良並傳播至世界各地，書籍得以大量印刷，使知識在世界各地流通。
Since the first printed newspaper “Xia Er Guan Zhen” was published by the Anglo Chinese College in 1853, HK gradually became the center of printing industry of the South East Asia. The first Chinese newspaper, “Universal Circulation Herald”, was published in HK 1874. In 1950s, there were over 150 letterpress printing companies in Central and Sheung Wan of HK, around Wing Lee Street. To know more about Wing Lee Street, you may read my another article: https://steemit.com/cn/@aaronli/hong-kong-snapshot-29-with-video-wing-lee-street-witnessing-the-sorrow-of-hk-29
自從香港第一份印刷品《遐邇貫珍》於1853由英華書院出版，香港逐漸成為東南亞的印刷中心，世界上第一份華資中文日報《循環日報》就是在1874年的香港面世，在1950年代，香港的中上環一帶便有超過150間印刷公司，其中集中於永利街一帶，有關永利街的故事，可看我的另一篇文章：https://steemit.com/cn/@aaronli/hong-kong-snapshot-29-with-video-wing-lee-street-witnessing-the-sorrow-of-hk-29
Until the end of 1980s, with the common use of offset printing technique, letterpress printing had stepped into a trough. The printing companies even traded the metal type for money. Until “Wai Che Printing Co.”, the last letterpress printing company in Wing Lee Street, was closed in 2012, the letterpress printing in HK became history. Luckily, Stanley Wong, famous international creative director, curated the “Printing Art Gallery” for young people to taste the history of letterpress printing. In the gallery, all the old printing machines with over history of half century, were shown to us.
可惜到1980年代，隨着柯式印刷技術成熟，活字印刷逐漸式微，本地的印刷廠把字粒當成爛銅爛鐵變賣，隨著永利街的最後一間印刷廠「偉志印務」於2012年結業，香港的活字印刷正式步入歷史。尤幸，國際著名藝術家又一山人為了讓青年人認識這曾經是香港之驕的技藝，他策劃了《印・藝・廊》展覽，將「偉志印務」超過半世紀歷史的印刷機、鉛字粒、字櫃等珍貴東西重現大家眼前，讓活字印刷的歷史繼續展現。
Printing Art Gallery is located at Youth Square in Chai Wan, 4 mins walk from the Chai Wan MTR station. It is now a regular exhibition. It reappears the outlook of “Wai Che Printing Co.” and let us feel the environment. Another side of the exhibition is a wallpaper of the over 6000 metal type characters. Before the invention of offset printing technique, the first edition of all books was done by the typesetting of worker one word by one word. You may imagine it takes how much time to print a book with 1 million words. Because of them, human knowledge can be spread from the history to now. But, the knowledge is still here, the letterpress printing technique is going to history.
《印・藝・廊》展覽位於香港的柴灣青年廣場，距離柴灣鐵路站只有4分鐘路程。《印・藝・廊》現在是一個常設展覽，裡面重新佈置了「偉志印務」的門面，讓大家感受到當年「偉志印務」的氛圍。展覽另一端的牆上是「偉志印務」創辦人李澤裕先生多年收藏逾6000棵的字粒照片，在未有柯式印刷之前，每本書籍的第一版，就是由印刷師利用這些字粒逐個字逐個字砌成，一本一百萬字的書，就需要印刷師砌一百萬個字，亦多得他們，才能讓知識一直從歷史流傳到今日，不過知識尚在，活字印刷術卻即將步入歷史。
Mr Lee Chak Yue is the founder of Wai Che Printing Co. He started his printing career since he was 18. He then started Wai Che Printing Co. for over 60 years. Although Wai Che was closed, Mr Lee still keep the thousands metal type characters and old printing machines which can still operate. Mr Lee refused to sold them. He wanted to keep this valuable arts and culture.
李澤裕先生是「偉志印務」的創辦人，他由18歲開始加入印刷行業，其後開設偉志印務，至今已超過60年，雖然「偉志印務」已經結業，但李先生依然保留那數千個鉛字粒，及這幾部仍然運作良好的老式印刷機，堅拒把它們出讓予收藏家。這一種堅持，足證李先生對傳統印刷技術的保育非向錢看，而是真正為文化遺產的承傳。
Mr Lee arrives “Printing Art Gallery” every month to host the guided tour and art workshop. We may try this valuable technique in the workshop and keep our DIY work. I am sure I will join the next workshop.
李先生更會每月到達《印・藝・廊》主持導賞及活字畫工作坊，讓我們親自嘗試活字畫印刷的滋味，完成的作品更可留下紀念，是一個十分值得參與的活動，不過我參觀展覽當天並不是工作坊的日子，但在下一次的工作坊，我一定會再來參與。
The most valuable in the gallery are those printing machines with over half century. Those machines printed lots of books and let the wisdom of HK to be kept until today.
場內最珍貴的是幾部超過50年歷史的印刷機，就是這些印刷機為50年代的香港留下大量書本及知識，讓香港的智慧傳承到今日。
Original Heidelberg Cylinder KS 306434 海德堡印刷機
It is the Original Heidelberg Cylinder KS 306434. The printed was the first-generation letterpress printing machine from West Germany in the 1960s. The machine could accommodate printing paper in 38cm x 52cm maximum. There’s a suction feeder on the machine that allow a fully automatic prose of inserting paper.
這部海德堡印刷機，俗稱風喉六度，是第一代西德活版印刷機，於1960年出產，可以印刷最大38cm x 52cm (六度)的紙張。「風喉」是指它的噴咀部份，會產生風力把紙張吸入機器內作印刷，取代人手落紙，令入紙過程可以自動進行，這過程叫「上紙」。
Heidelberg Platen Press Printing Machine這是海德堡風喉照鏡自動印刷機
This is the Heidelberg Platen Press Printing Machine. The mechanism gives the machine a nickname “windmill”, while the platen is referring to the flat plate pressing the paper against the inked type form.
這是海德堡風喉照鏡自動印刷機，「風喉」如前所說是用風力把紙張吸到適當位置進行印刷，而「照鏡」是指印刷過程中，由一仿似鏡子的圓形墨碟把油墨帶上字版，這動作叫「照鏡」。
Thermography Machine 凸字機
This is Thermography Machine. For an engraved effect on documents and name cards, resin powder will be applied by hand on the area right after printing while the ink is still waiting to dry. And then the document will be put inside the thermography machine, the heat of the machine will melt the powder with the ink and create an engraved effect.
這是凸字機，紙張在印刷後，油墨未乾時，先把凸字粉黏到文件上，再將文件放入凸字機，凸字機的熱力會把油墨和凸字粉融合，形成凸字效果。
It is believed that there are seldom people still know the old techniques now. This is the result of the progress of new techniques. We should be happy about this. But watching those old techniques are gradually lost, I have a helpless feeling. Mr. Lee is already 80 years old. He demonstrates the arts, the cultures and the spirit of the letterpress printing industry of HK. But few year later, after Mr. Lee passes away, the history of HK letterpress printing will be forgotten. Maybe, the only thing we can be is the keep telling the story, to preserve this important cultural heritage of HK.
相信，以上的印刷知識，還認識的人已所餘無幾，這是技術進步的必然結果，我們本應為此而感到高興，但看著這些傳統技術漸漸被失去，總有一種無奈的感觸。李先生今年已經80歲，他的故事為香港式微的印刷工業歷史及文化作出了活生生的詮釋，不過，不出數年，在他離世後，這段歷史將慢慢地被遺忘。或者，我們唯有將這故事繼續流傳下去，才能為香港世代守護著這些重要的文化資產。
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(description of the printing machines is from the information of the exhibition)
(印刷機的介紹參考自展覽資料)
謝謝你能抽空閱讀這篇文章，我平日喜歡分享香港的故事，希望大家多多支持，我會繼續努力！
Thanks for spending your time to read my articles. I like to share stories of Hong Kong. I wish you may support me and I will keep going!
