Many of us use them regularly without even thinking twice. We purchase them to take the stress and guessing out of gift giving. But rarely do we take the time to think about the history of credit cards and plastic gift cards. About 60 years ago, a man named Frank McNamara forgot his wallet while dining out. While it was very embarrassing, this situation later led to the creation of the Diners Club card. This revolutionary process opened the door to the 'buy now and pay later' philosophy that has shaped our culture into what it is today. Cards were first made of paper, but were easily torn or ruined in the wash. So American Express was the first to provide plastic cards in 1959. Browse our vast selection of vintage prints and learn more about exciting facts behind the rich history surrounding plastic business cards and personalized gift cards.

Copying text was originally done by hand. But as demand for printed material increased, inventions had to be made in order to meet such need. Johannes Gutenberg of Germany assembled the first mechanical press around 1440. The technology of the printing press opened the door to many new opportunities. Known as the 'California Job Case', Pacific Coast Print Foundries in the US later perfected the process of print. And the invention of electric machines for typesetting allowed for much faster production, setting the pace for modern technology in print. Printing methods have continually improved over the years. Discover more from our patent reprints depicting vinyl printing and sign printing.