THE PRINTING PRESS THE BASICS Geographic Location Western

THE PRINTING PRESS

THE BASICS Geographic Location: Western Europe/ Germany Time period: Mid 15 th Century (1450) Inventor: Johannes Gutenberg A printing press is a device for evenly printing ink on to a print medium such as paper or cloth. The device applies pressure to a print medium that rests on an inked surface made of movable type, thereby transferring the ink, making a book.

LIFE BEFORE THE PRINTING PRESS - Not many books/manuscripts/documents Illiterate Populations Oral Tradition No Schools (maybe for some of the elite) Feudal Society Information was controlled by - The Church - The Elite WHICH ALLOWED FOR CONTROL OVER THE MASSES…

WERE THERE BOOKS BEFORE THE PRINTING PRESS? In the Middle Ages- Handwritten by monks or scribes - Took a long time; very expensive - Pages made of parchment or vellum sheep skin calf skin Gothic Script- font that was hard to read

Vellum Parchment

WERE THERE BOOKS BEFORE THE PRINTING PRESS? Yes in China… - First book printed in 868 - Produced with paper and ink - Moveable type: individual letters on wood or clay blocks that are arranged to form words

THE PRINTING PRESS Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press …. but he was no genius!! He knew that printing technology already existed he combined existing technology and his own ideas Result: The Printing Press!

Chinese Paper replaced parchment and vellum Wine Press Screw pressed paper against metal moveable type The Printing Press Moveable Type Gutenberg made metal letters Carolingian Script new font that was easier to read

Metal Moveable Type http: //

Carolingian Script Gothic Script

Wine Press Screw

Wine Press Screw Carolingian Script Paper Moveable Type

THE PRINTING PRESS First book printed on a printing press using metal moveable type: The Gutenberg Bible By 1456 J. G. had produced 180 copies of this Bible. To this day 49 of those 180 copies exist. The last one sold at of value of 2. 4 Million dollars…

EFFECT OF GUTENBERG’S PRINTING PRESS 1. Latin gives way to “vernacular” the regional language of ordinary people. 2. By 1500 approximately 20 million books will be printed on thousands of topics. 3. Commoners have access to knowledge and information (literacy and education increase rapidly). 4. People noticed contradictions and mistakes, which changed thinking/perception.

EFFECT OF GUTENBERG’S PRINTING PRESS 6. Grammar and Language became standardized 7. Ideas spread quickly and science flourished. - THE RENAISSANCE 5. Power was questioned and the absolute authority of the church was weakened. 6. - THE REFORMATION