The story of the invention of printing press is one that leaves a remarkable spot in human history. For the first time, mass production of books became possible for mankind and Johannes Gutenberg made this happen.
What led to this invention in the first place? Well, the interest in reading and writing began to grow fast and more people wanted access but those who were in-charge of printing didn’t know how to do it fast so the entire process was slow.
An earlier attempt towards the invention of printing press began in the early 9th century in ancient China. A woodblock printing was said to have been developed during the Tang Dynasty. By woodblock I meant carving an entire page text on a flat wood, apply ink and press it on a paper. This was slow and very stressful.
Early Printing Press
Up until 1450, books were still written and handled by hand. This was a bit better than the woodblock technique but it was no doubt a laborious and time-consuming process that was undertaken by those who had the discipline for it. So Monks were primarily selected for this purpose.
To produce a book at that time, manuscripts had to be written on vellum or parchment as it is called. This usually takes several months or years to complete depending on the size of the project. Books then became scares and expensive, and were only accessible by the rich and religious institutions.
Johannes Gutenberg’s Innovation
Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg whose exact birth date is still unknown was said to have been born around 1400 in Mainz, Germany. As a profession, he was a skilled craftsman who has knowledge of metalwork and gem cutting.
These skills would later prove valuable in his invention of the printing press. It was around 1439, that Gutenberg began his revolutionary project. He started off by experimenting with existing printing technologies and began figuring out innovative ways to improve them until he eventually found a technique that worked.
What is this technique?
Movable Type:
Gutenberg introduced the movable type which allowed each character to exist on their own. It was created using a metal alloy of led, tin, antimony in order to meet his requirement for durability, quality and reusability. This significantly reduced the printing process and cost.
Movable Type
He also used cotton fibre paper as oppose to vellum to further minimise cost. To make his idea for the invention of printing press functional and applicable, he had to build a wooden machine that consist of:
- 1. Wooden Frame
- 2. Screw
- 3. Bar for pulling
- 4. Platen for even distribution of the pressure
- 5. Form for holding the type
- 6. Frisket and tympan which held the paper in place
- 7. Ink Blotters which helped to disburse the ink evenly across the metal type.
Here is how it works
The Typesetting Process
His Invention of printing process had a unique system of typesetting that run through these stages:
Stage one – Punch and Matrix
- Punch: He made use of a hard metal rod with a symbol or letter carved on one end of it.
- Matrix: Gutenberg then pressed this rod into a softer metal mold called the matrix.
- Casting: At this stage, hot metal was poured into this mold.
He did this for each individual character and symbol.
Stage two – Composition
- Arranging: Here, each letter is placed together in a holder so as to form words and sentences. It needed to be arranged in reverse to enable it print the right way.
- Page Setup: These lines of text were then deposited in a frame to make a complete page that would be applied on a paper.
Stage three – Ink and Press Design
- Ink: As oppose to the water-based ink used for hand written copies, Gutenberg prepared an oil-based ink that stock well with the metal letters, clean to transfer to the surface, long-lasting and appeared neat on paper.
- Printing Press: The press mechanism when applied produced even pressure across the paper to ensure consistency in-terms of quality. It worked just like the existing screw press used for wine and olive oil production during that time as this was where he drew inspiration from.
Notable Works
The Invention of printing press paved way for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, otherwise called the 42-line Bible because each page was printed with 42 lines of text. He began working on the Gutenberg Bible project around 1450 and completed in around 1455.
Why did Gutenberg choose the Bible?
Here’s what he has to say:
“It is a press, certainly, but a press from which shall soon flow in, inexhaustible streams of the most abundant and most marvellous liquor that has ever flowed to relieve the thirst of man! Through it, God will spread his word. A spring of pure truth shall flow from it! Like a new star, it shall scatter the darkness of ignorance, and cause a light heretofore unknown to shine among men.”
Approximately 180 where produced but only 49 copies can be found today out of which 21 are complete. The text where mostly black in colour and the design you find on each page was done based on buyer’s request. The Gutenberg Bible showcased the potential of the printing press ability to produce high-quality books that were cheaper and of good quality.
Impact on Society
Unfortunately, Gutenberg ended up losing his printing press to business partners; his invention of printing press had so much impact in the society. Less than 50 years of printing the Gutenberg bible, the number of printing press in Western Europe rose to 1000 and the number of books printed was a staggering 8 million by the year 1500.
Education and Literacy
Gutenberg printing press made education more accessible as books became cheaper and literacy rates increased. This eventually led to the standardization of knowledge and curricula in the educational system.
Scientific Revolution
Scientist were now able to quickly produce, reproduce and distribute their findings more efficiently. This led to rapid growth in knowledge which was very vital for the scientific revolution that was happening at that time.
Religious Reformation
Prior to the invention of printing press, religious text and the dissemination of reformation ideas were under the control of the Catholic Church. Gutenberg invention changed this norm, allowing for Protestant Reform.
Cultural and Intellectual Movements
The renaissance which had already began at that time, grew even faster as a result of the printing press ability to spread old and new ideas. More printed books became accessible and people’s interest in this area was on the rise.
Economics and Trade
As expected, new jobs were created as a result of the new industries that emerged. People can now work in new roles like printers, typesetters, bookbinders etc. Leading to significant growth in the economy
A Researcher and Software Engineer who is committed to bridging the digital divide in underserved communities.
