Posters have been an important form of communication since the 19th century and are a common feature of our public spaces. Whether promoting products and services, exhibitions and performances, political causes or protests, they are compelling visual evidence of our social and cultural history. A poster is a temporary promotion of an idea, product, or event posted in a public place for public consumption. Typically, posters include both textual and graphic elements, although posters can be entirely graphic or entirely textual. The design of the poster is both eye-catching and informative. Posters can be used for many purposes. They are a common tool for advertisers (especially events, musicians and films), promoters, protesters and other groups trying to get a message across. Posters are also used for reproductions of artwork, especially famous works, and are often less costly than the original artwork. However, the modern poster as we know it dates back to the 1840s and 1850s, when the printing industry perfected color lithography and made mass production possible.