Johannes Gutenberg's Invention Of The Printing Press

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The printing press is a moveable type machine that is used by transferring text and images to paper using ink. The machine helped change society from making hand written books to producing books more rapidly. The printing press was more effective when it came to text and images being seen on paper. When material had to be hand written it was hard to read, but the printing press made reading a lot easier. The printing press invention became more efficient when wanting to spread work faster. The invention of the printing press was one of the most useful technology in history because it helped spread ideas, produced books, and improved the economy greatly. Johannes Gutenberg who was a German goldsmith, developed the printing press “in Mainz, Germany between 1446 and 1450” (Ditttmar, 1133). The printing press was made to print books, newspapers, and flyers. The machine was made from wood and was based off screw presses, that worked with inked movable type heads that allowed the paper to be quickly and efficiently pressed with letters. The type head was made by pouring a
Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press enabled the mass production of newspapers and books throughout Europe. The “print media played a key role in the acquisition and development of skills that were valuable to merchants” (Dittmar, 1137). The printing press helped individuals obtain knowledge. Trade played a huge role in the spread of printing culture. “Transport costs in early modern Europe were sufficiently high that print media often spread through reprinting rather than intercity trade” (Dittmar, 1140). Through the printing press, it was cheaper to reprint which helped improve the

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