Gutenberg's quiet revolution
Movable type did not arrive with a bang. It slowly changed how ideas spread.
Around 1450, in the German city of Mainz, a goldsmith named Johannes Gutenberg began to experiment with a new way of making books. The result was one of the most important inventions in history, though it did not look dramatic at the time.
Books before printing#
Before Gutenberg, books in Europe were copied by hand. A single volume could take months to produce. Books were rare and expensive, and owned mostly by churches, universities and the wealthy.
Printing existed already in other places. Woodblock printing had been used in East Asia for centuries, and movable type was developed there too. Gutenberg's contribution was a practical system for Europe.
What he put together#
His system combined several things:
- Metal type. Individual letters cast in a metal alloy, which could be arranged into words, printed, then taken apart and reused.
- A press. Adapted from the kind used for pressing wine and olives, to apply even pressure.
- Oil-based ink. Thicker than water ink, so it would stick to metal type.
Together these made it possible to produce many identical pages quickly.
The Gutenberg Bible#
His best-known work is a Latin Bible, printed around 1455. About 180 copies are thought to have been made, and several survive. Its pages are admired for their beauty.
Gutenberg himself did not become rich. He had financial troubles and lost control of his press to a creditor.
What changed#
Within a few decades, printing presses spread across Europe. Books became cheaper and more common. Ideas, news and arguments could travel farther and faster than ever. Literacy grew, and so did the market for new writing.
It was not instant, and it was not smooth. But over time, the press changed religion, science and politics.
A reminder#
A new tool seldom transforms the world on the first day. The change comes slowly, as more people find uses for it. That is true of the press, and probably of whatever tool you are using today.