The Printing Press
Most Important Invention in History?
Life Before the Printing Press
•Books could only be found in monasteries, places ofeducation, and in the homes of the very wealthy
•Because copying was a long and hard process, only textsthat were popular would be reproduced.
•The Bible was the primary text
Scribes
•Were responsible for copying manuscripts andilluminators created the illustrations
•Illuminators added stylized fonts, gold trimming, andbeautiful color to the pages.
•Worked in special rooms called scriptoriums
Early Process
•Parchment was made from animal skin
•Bought, brought to the monastery, and rubbed smoothby an assistant before the copying could begin
•Lines had to be spaced exactly, marked by knifeincisions.
Johannes Gutenberg
•Born around 1399 in Mainz, Germany
•Trained as a metallurgist and goldsmith
•Used his skills in metalworking to create the metalmovable type printing press.
•Died a poor man
• Took hundreds of years for people to appreciate hisinvention.
The Printing Press
•Created in 1450 by Johannes Gutenberg
• Inspired by the wine press, which used a similartechnique
•Constructed mainly out of wood
•The letters used in the press were made out of metaland covered in ink.
•Paper was placed on the letters and then “pressed” bythe machine.
How did the invention of theprinting press impact society?
It’s Influence
•Allowed books to be mass-produced which lowered thecost to purchase those books.
•Naturally, knowledge would be available to a lot morepeople!
•Created an intellectual revolution in all areas ofthought- philosophy, science, and religion
Access to books and knowledgeincreased a great deal
Ideas developed and spread morequickly than ever before!
Led to a rise in literacy, or the abilityto read because people had moreaccess to books
Fun facts
After Gutenburg created the metal movable typeprinting press, others stole his idea and made a lot ofmoney from the press.
Time magazine named Gutenberg’s press the mostimportant invention of the last thousand years.
Gutenberg printed over 150 copies of the Bible, butonly 49 of them exist today. One copy was recently soldfor 2 million dollars.
“Like a new star, it shall scatterthe darkness of ignorance andcause a light heretoforeunknown to shine amongstmen.”
-Johannes Gutenberg