The Printing Industry in Edinburgh

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Edinburgh City of Print is dedicated to recording the rich heritage of the printing and publishing industry in Edinburgh. Well into the twentieth century Scotland, and Edinburgh in particular, were renowned for their book and map publishing. Names such as Nelsons, Bartholomews, Chambers and R & R Clark were internationally known and the work produced by Edinburgh printers was synonymous with high quality.

Printing and publishing businesses were located throughout the city and employed a workforce of between 5,000 and 7,000 people well into the 1960s. Printing companies were involved in the lives of their workforces and provided not only employment, but a valuable social welfare role as well.

This section of the site aims to give a little information about how the industry grew in Edinburgh, examples of items produced and the location of the major printing houses. It will also chart the rise of computerisation and the decline of the industry in Scotland. Where possible it will provide information about relevant publications and the location of company archives.

View an interactive map of the historical locations of Edinburgh Printing Houses.