I guess you can call me “old-fashioned“. I prefer the book with the pages that you can actually turn. Sure, I may have to lick the tip of my fingers so that the pages don’t stick together when I’m enraptured in a story that I can’t wait to get to the next page. But nothing beats the sound that an actual, physical book makes when you first crack it open or the smell of new, freshly printed words on the creamy white paper of a page-turner
― Felicia Johnson
You may have used the Manchester Printing services or any other printing service depending on the location where you reside but do you know the story of the invention of printing press, the same printing press without which we would not have books, magazines, newspapers.
Hence the invention of the printing press is a crucial milestone in our history. It allows us to produce information and distribute it. It is one of the major reasons for the evolution of knowledge in our society.
Before the printing press came into picture, the same work was done by hand. In the ancient times, the books were only available to a few privileged people and not available for everyone.
Table of Contents
Invention of the printing press
The man behind the invention of the printing press was Johann Gutenberg. During the 1400s, a basic printing methodology was already in place. Letters or images were carved out on pieces of wood and then dipped in ink. Finally, it was printed on paper.
Gutenberg had worked at a mint and he thought of implementing the printing technique on a larger scale. Since he was trying to find ways to make some money, he devised a machine that could make the printing process much faster than it was. He employed metal blocks instead of wood and hence made a movable type machine to print new letters, words and sentences. The first printed book that came out of this machine was a copy of the Bible.
The mechanism of the printing press
Initially, these machines were operated by hand. The blocks were set in a frame that would print out the text on the paper while passing through a roller. It was only in the 19th century that steam-driven printing presses were made.
Boon of printing press
The books, which were a privileged possession in the past were now available to the general public. The popularity of the printing press was initially restricted to the lower classes since the upper classes looked down on it. The printing press gave a new dimension to the dissemination of knowledge. The texts were now available to the general population. It was not only them who benefitted from it but even the academic scholars, politicians, etc found it a useful tool.
Further Note
The printing press has come a long way since then. Now we have digital printing techniques in place. But if it was not for Johannes Gutenberg, the world wouldn’t have seen the printing press. The invention of the printing press changed our lives in so many ways. It gave us access to knowledge; it helps us in knowing the latest happenings around the world in the form of newspapers; it helps us explore our history through books and so on. So next time you pick a book or newspaper to read, do not forget to thank the man behind it; his contribution to the world is immortal.
