What is a Jigsaw Puzzle?

Almost everyone who has played the puzzle is immersed in the process of assembling, and forget everything outside. When the pieces gradually bite at the fingertips, from fragmentation to the emergence of a complete pattern, the sense of accomplishment, is the unique charm of the puzzle. Whether it's a colorful cartoon puzzle in the hands of a child, or a thousand scenic masterpieces challenged by adults, puzzles are always a quiet but powerful way to spend time with people.

So, what is a jigsaw puzzle? It is not only a kind of educational toy, but also a cultural carrier bearing historical precipitation, technological wisdom and psychological value, which is worth exploring.

The origins of Jigsaw puzzles-the brilliant printer

Jigsaw puzzles have been around since the 1760 of time, when pictures were glued to cardboard and cut into irregular pieces. But the first jigsaw puzzles game were for the rich.

It was in the 1762 that puzzles became truly ubiquitous as toys. In London, a printer named John Johan Spilsbury had the idea for the enduring jigsaw puzzle.

With great skill, he glued a map of England to the back of a thin dining table and cut it into precise pieces along the edges of the counties. The idea brought great wealth, but poor Spilsbury didn't get the money. He lived to be 29 years old and didn't see the jigsaw puzzle come to fruition.

The French Revolution of 1789, which ushered in the modern European era, saw the creation of the modern jigsaw puzzle in the hands of John Wallis.

This imaginative Englishman invented the brightly colored landscape jigsaw puzzle. The new puzzle requires more concentration and patience. Wallis's reproduction techniques soon made his new jigsaw puzzle a model for developing trade based on his original plates.

By the early 19th century, new industrial techniques for mass production had given the jigsaw a definite form. Around the 1840, German and French puzzle makers use interlocking jigsaw puzzle cutters to cut the pieces, a form familiar to modern puzzle aficionados. They replaced hardwood veneer with softwood, plywood and cardboard, greatly reducing costs. The end result is a low-priced jigsaw puzzle that is accepted by consumers of all classes.

Types of puzzles-from flat to three-dimensional, from single to colorful.

With the popularity and popularity of puzzles, ordinary puzzles can no longer meet people's needs, so they are divided into the following categories:

According to the form, from plane to three-dimensional.

Plane Puzzle: this is the most common type of puzzle, usually a static image cut into, using paper or plastic materials. The difficulty of the plane puzzle can be adjusted according to the number of pieces, shape and pattern complexity, there are 300 pieces, 500 pieces, 1000 pieces and other specifications.

Three-dimensional puzzle: pieces of wood or plastic foam and other solid materials, can spell out a three-dimensional structure of the model, such as buildings, animals, people, etc. . Players must assemble the pieces in a specific order, requiring a high degree of spatial imagination and manual skill.

Spherical puzzles: can be seen as a cross between a plane puzzle and a three-dimensional puzzle. Its spherical surface is a single-layer structure made of cardboard pieces. The final shape is a three-dimensional body with long, wide and high attributes.

Special-shaped puzzle: the shape of the pieces is irregular, and players need to put them together according to the shape and outline of the pieces. It is more challenging and fun, and suitable for players of all ages.

Puzzle boxes: players can use interlocking pieces like flat puzzle pieces to assemble small drawers or boxes that can hold items in the middle, which is both practical and fun.

According to the number of films, different age groups and interest preferences are matched.

According to the number of pieces, there are 10-100 pieces of simple puzzles for 3-6-year-old children. The pictures are mostly cartoon images, animals or simple scenes to help children learn There are also regular 500-1,000 pieces of puzzles for teenagers and adults, covering landscapes, art paintings, film and television, etc. . There are even 2,000 or more giant puzzles that challenge the limit, or even works of 10,000 pieces, test the patience and planning skills of the Splicer.

Classified by texture, from rough to smooth.

By material, traditional paper puzzles are the most common, with good value for money and a wide variety of designs; wooden puzzles have a better texture, smooth edges and durability, and are often high-end puzzles or puzzles for children; and metal puzzles are the most common, metal pieces can be used as ornaments after splicing, which is both ornamental and interesting. In addition, there are three-dimensional puzzles, which can be used to build three-dimensional models such as buildings, vehicles and cartoon characters, break the limitations of the plane puzzle, more interactive and sense of achievement.

According to the theme, the choice of jigsaw puzzle is more colorful.

The theme of film and television animation is popular with young people, the classic characters and scenes are restored into a mosaic; Art lovers can experience the charm of art by using classic works by masters such as Vincent van Gogh and Monay, as well as educational themes such as the world of dinosaurs, the Solar System and the human body, let children learn knowledge through play.

The Making of Jigsaw puzzles-journey from design to molding

A high-quality jigsaw puzzle, hidden behind a set of rigorous and meticulous production process, each link is a test of the producer's ingenuity. The first is pattern design and selection, which is the“Soul” of the puzzle. Designers need to select or create the right patterns for different audiences-children's puzzles are colourful and simple, while adults' puzzles can be high-definition landscapes, artworks or abstract patterns. After the pattern is determined, digital processing is needed to adjust the resolution and color saturation to ensure a clear and realistic effect after printing.

Next is the choice of substrate and cutting, which directly determines the quality of the puzzle. In the early days, cardboard was often used for puzzles. Today, in order to improve durability and feel, many high-end puzzles use imported gray cardboard, which has high density, is not easy to deform, and can better absorb ink. Before cutting the substrate, the processed pattern should be printed on the surface of the substrate. During the printing process, the amount of ink and printing pressure should be strictly controlled to avoid uneven color or fuzzy pattern. After printing, key die-cutting steps are carried out. The mould designer will design unique pieces according to the characteristics of the pattern, such as irregular curves, concave and convex mortise-and-tenon shapes, etc. , it is necessary to ensure a close bite between the pieces, but also to avoid the shape is too similar to lead to splicing difficulties. Die-cutting pieces still need to go through manual screening, eliminate rough edges, shape unqualified products, to ensure that each piece is up to standard.

The benefits of Jigsaw puzzles-the development of individual skills

The reason why jigsaw puzzles can cross ages and times and be loved by people for a long time is not only because of the fun of the assembling process, but also because it has many positive effects on body and mind.

For children, puzzles are a great tool for enlightenment. In the process of assembling, children need to observe the color, shape and pattern details of the pieces, exercise observation and attention, and put the pieces together by hand to improve the fine movement and coordination of the hands Also need to think about the position of the jigsaw puzzle relationship, training logical thinking and spatial imagination. At the same time, when children encounter difficulties in splicing, they need to be patient to try and adjust repeatedly, which can help them develop perseverance and resilience.

For adults, puzzles are an effective stress buster. In the fast-paced modern life, people are often surrounded by the pressure of work and life, and the jigsaw puzzle can let people take a break from the complicated affairs, to focus on the pieces in hand. This state of concentration is similar to"Mindfulness meditation" and can help relieve anxiety and calm the restless mind. In addition, the jigsaw puzzle can also become a family interaction link, the family together to put together a jigsaw puzzle, exchange ideas, division of labor, can enhance each other's feelings, but also to create a warm family atmosphere. Studies have shown that long-term participation in jigsaw puzzles and other activities, but also stimulate the brain, help prevent cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer's disease.

Summary

In short, the puzzle is not just a simple piece, but let people in the fragmented search for relevance, in the focus of the harvest satisfaction. It is not only a combination of pieces, but also a construction of order, a perception of beauty and a challenge to the self. When the last piece is inserted in the right place, it is not only a pattern, but also a physical and mental cultivation and growth.