The first Hebrew printing press in Calcutta was founded in 1840 by Eleazar ben Aaron Saadiah Iraqi ha-Cohen and continued until 1856. A scholar and poet, Iraqi was an expert printer who probably cast his own type. The products of his press, some of them his own writings, are comparable with the best European productions of the time. Another press, operated by Ezekiel ben Saliman Hanin from 1871–93, printed the Judeo-Arabic weekly in Hebrew type Mevasser from 1873–78. This paper was followed by Perah (1878–88), printed from 1871 by Elijah b. Moses Duwayk ha-Cohen. Two further weeklies, Maggid Meisharim (1889–1900) and Shoshannah (1901), were edited and printed by R. Solomon Twena, author of almost 70 works published by his own press.

שם המדפיס על-פי א' יערי, הדפוס העברי בארצות המזרח, ב, ירושלם ת"ש, עמ' 33, מס' 44. בטופס שבספריית ששון נזכר שם המחבר בשער. הסכמה: ר' אליהו יהושע עובדיה, בגדאד, ראש-חודש אדר תרמ"ז.