then in the coming decades: home printing, both laser and ink. more esoteric and traditional methods, too: stamping, lithography, etc.
(i'm completely not even mentioning the internet and electronic publishing!)
each press is unique, has its own aesthetics and process. some produce very crisp, professional-feeling products, printed and bound at the print shop. some work off photocopying and manual folding and stapling. during the pandemic i started publishing, and i mean, i started putting things out myself. the first item was a little anthology, and one of the poets, an israeli poet, referred to it as a zine.
i was sort of stopped by this, because while i don't think it's correct, i also don't think it's wrong, either. the feel is very handmade: printed at home on my old brother b&w laser printer, stapled with my long-arm stapler, carefully folded, the crease sharpened with a bone folder.
not the professional, perfect-produced feel of other presses, but not rough-photocopied and stapled, either. somewhere between? and anyway, now almost three years since i started doing this. i just put out another item a few days ago. i've got the next one lined up for early next year. i've still never published myself (some small presses skate fairly close to self-publishing). i don't know if i ever will. i'm just happy to be giving back. providing an outlet. a showcase. to ride this as far as my energy and other peoples' interest takes it.