Gutenberg and the Printing Press

Author: Pang Lixia, Cengage Learning, a U.S. publishing company
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Today, when we think of a book, what naturally comes to mind is a printed book. The same edition can have thousands or even tens of thousands of identical copies, or even several million copies of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." However, if you ask a reader from 1450 or 1460 how a book is produced, the answer might be: "Of course, it's copied!" Gutenberg's conception and design of the key features of his invention were so well thought out that, for several hundred years after his death, typecasting and printing technology changed very little. By the late 15th century, printing establishments had appeared in every major city in Europe, as well as most small cities. During the so-called incunabula period, nearly 30,000 different editions of books were printed. This made a significant contribution to the spread of knowledge during the Renaissance.