Covering Color

Starting with its first issue in 1845, Scientific American has faithfully reported on technology used to produce the magazine. Some advances have been shown directly on the cover, such as a digital Ietterform in May 1969. Echoes of other advances are visible in the cover color analysis here. After more than 75 years of weekly publishing--largely in black and white, with occasional washes of color--the magazine shifted to a rotary offset lithography press for covers in 1917, which allowed for the lush paintings that marked its transition to a monthly in 1921.