Printing press

Printing press

Books were once an expensive rarity, but the printing press turned them into a means of spreading ideas and information far and wide. The start of a READING REVOLUTION

The lever turns a screw to raise and lower the press.

Chinese printing

People in China were turning the pages of books printed using wooden Blocks more than 1,000 years ago. Later, they invented movable type—raised letters that could be moved into place and used to print more than one book. But the sheer number of characters in the Chinese language complicated the process and the idea did not catch on.

It paved the way for...

The first printed

newspaper was published in 1605 in Strasbourg, Germany. This Latin Bible from 1455 is one of Gutenberg’s first printed books.

The first periodical to be called a magazine was published in London in 1731.

Around 1450, German publisher Johannes Gutenberg invented a printing press based on olive and wine presses. His mechanical movable type system used metal letters arranged as required and inked by hand. LowerinG the press pushed the paper onto the letters and the page was printed.

Handheld ink balls are used to apply ink to metal letters arranged in the forme (tray).

The tympan and forme slide under the press.

By the way... Even though my invention changed the world, I fell out with my business partners and hardly made any money from it.

The tympan (the wooden frame that holds a sheet of paper) folds over onto the inked letters.

Printing today

Within Gutenberg’s lifetime, his press produced books in cities all over Europe. He’d designed it so well that it hardly changed for the next 300 years. Starting in the 1800s, steampowered presses churned out books more cheaply than ever before. Modern presses (above), powered by electricity, use rollers and print in coLor.

Before Gutenberg’s invention, books were rare and expensive because they had to be copied out by hand. The printing press meant that entire books could be printed cheaply and quickly, putting ideas and information into the hands of ordinary people, not just the very rich. Millions of people learned to read as a result and discovered the pleasure of a good book. How it changed

the world

PaPerback books were first mass-produced in the 19th century on steampowered presses.

Books were once an expensive rarity, but the printing press turned them into a means of spreading ideas and information far and wide. Chinese printing People in China were turning the pages of books printed using wooden blocks more than 1,000 years ago. Later, they invented movable type – raised letters that could be moved into place and used to print more than one book. But the sheer number of characters in the Chinese The first e-book readers were launched in 1998. E-books will soon overtake sales of physical books.