Free Printable Punch Card Templates

Punch cards have many names, they can be called “Punched Cards”. Concerning the discovery of Punch Cards, they are also called Hollerith Cards or IBM Cards since Herman Hollerith was the founder of IBM. Punch cards can be described as
“A set of paper cards in which several holes are punched using a machine or manually to represent codes and data related to computers and programming”
The primary use of punch cards could be summed up as the storage of information and other data during the days of early computers. These cards could be installed in a card reader machine which would convert the sequence of these holes into information that could be used digitally.

For instance, in the days of ancient computers, a person who used to program computer codes would write code manually in a handwritten form. The handwritten program or computer code would be later converted into punched cards using a punch card machine. The set of punch cards was then used to create a computer program or means of a card reader that could interpret the information on the card as digital information.

History of Punch Cards

The history of punch cards dates back to 1725 when they were initially used in the textile industry. It is quoted that Joseph Marie Jacquard used to create portraits woven in silk using these punch cards. With time, the cards started becoming popular and by 1832 Semen Korsakov started using punch cards to save information and search data.

In 1890 Herman Hollerith introduced a method by which punch cards could be used as instruments to record information and store data using a punch card reading machine. These punch cards were used for recording data during the US census. Later when Hollerith founded IBM, a software & computer development company they became popular by the name of IBM cards.

How to use a Punch Card?

A punch card looked like a cardboard sheet with lots of holes in it on each column. The holes in each column were arranged in a manner that each sequential column represented a character such that each card developed a single line of code. In this way, a whole code or program was developed on the cardboard the punch card stored the information. Since each card could only be used in a limited manner, to develop a whole program or store a code, a whole set consisting of many cards is required.

To read and input the data on the punch card and load the computer program, the card was placed inside a card reader, installed on the computer. When the card is installed in the reader, the punch card reader starts reading from the left side at the top of the card. Going downwards vertically, from the top of the card to the bottom. Column after column the reader moved across the cards to interpret information.

The top of the card said what each card contained so that it could be understood what was saved and stored on a certain type of card. In the case of errors and omissions, the whole card must be printed again. The code on the punch card was similar to the binary system.

In the early days of computers, the old devices were not advanced enough to store and process large amounts of information like the devices of modern times. To save information and store, essential programs punch cards were used. The use of punch cards diminished after the development of magnetic strips. Punch cards were a primary storage device in the early 1900s which were later replaced by modern means of storing information by the 1960s.

Importance of Punch Cards:

Punch Cards were a cheap mean and reasonable device since

Input Of Data & Information:

Punch cards we primarily used to put data in the mainframe computers. Punch cards were one of the primary methods of storing and retrieving data

Storage Of Information:

The punch card was an effective way to save information in the early times. This was an efficient means of editing updating and replacing information

Output Of Information

Sometimes the punch card would be used as a source for generating output, which would be later used by other programmers to process and develop different programs.

Free Printable Punch Card Templates

Download these Free Printable Punch Card Templates in MS Word Format to make your own Printable Punch Card Template easily. However, you can also download a professional business card template as well.

Here is our collection of Free Printable Punch Card Templates for you to download.

Here is the download link for this Printable Punch Card Template 01 in MS Word Format,

The download link for this Printable Punch Card Template 02 is here,

Here is the download link for this Printable Punch Card Template 03,

The download link for this Printable Punch Card Template 04 is here,

Here is the download link for this Printable Punch Card Template 05 in MS Word Format,

The download link for this Printable Punch Card Template 06 is here,

Here is the download link for this Printable Punch Card Template 07 in MS Word Format,

The download link for this Printable Punch Card Template 08 is here,

Here is the download link for this Printable Punch Card Template 09 in MS Word Format,

The download link for this Printable Punch Card Template 10 is here,

Punch Card Templates FAQs