specialized "dōjinshi" printers emerged in the later half of the 1970s, and they went on to play an important role in the growth of "dōjinshi" culture by making printing services more available and affordable for amateur creators. their activities also included organizing "dōjinshi" conventions where their customers could sell their works. throughout the boom in "dōjinshi" culture in the mid-1980s and the expansion of distribution channels such as "dōjin" shops and "dōjinshi" conventions, the number of "dōjinshi" printers rose as well, and the kinds of services they offered diversified. in 1992, around 52 "dōjinshi" printers were operating in japan. by 2014, this number had at least doubled.