Before printing, every book in Europe had to be copied by hand. Around 1440 in Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg began developing a system that would change that.
What Gutenberg combined
- Movable metal type cast in a hand mould, so letters could be reused.
- An oil-based ink that stuck to metal type.
- A screw press adapted from those used for wine and paper.
Printing with movable type had existed earlier in East Asia; Gutenberg's contribution was a practical system for mass production in Europe. His Bible, completed in the mid-1450s, showed what it could do.
The consequences
Printing spread rapidly to cities across Europe. Books became cheaper, texts became more standardised, and new ideas — scientific, religious and political — could circulate widely. Historians link printing to the Reformation, the Scientific Revolution and rising literacy.
The press did not just copy books faster. It changed who could take part in the conversation.
