Gutenberg and the Printing Press
Gutenberg, a German inventor, developed the printing press using existing technology from his upbringing on an agricultural estate. He adapted the olive press as the model for the printing press, using molds to cast metal types for alphabet letters. By 1448, Gutenberg perfected the system, printing the Bible, which took three years to produce. The new technology did not completely replace hand-produced books, but it closely resembled written manuscripts in appearance and layout.
Metal letters imitated handwritten styles, borders were illuminated by hand with foliage, and illustrations were painted. The number of printing presses grew, leading to a boom in book production. By the second half of the fifteenth century, 20 million copies of printed books were available, increasing to 200 million in the sixteenth century. This shift from hand printing to mechanical printing led to the Printing revolution.
Gutenberg and the Printing Press| Class 10 History Notes
Gutenberg and the Printing Press – Class 10 Social Science Chapter 5 Print Culture and the Modern World discusses that Johannes Gutenberg was a German blacksmith who invented the printing press in the 1430s. The printing press was a revolutionary invention that changed the way information was disseminated and allowed for the mass production of books. Before the printing press, books were handwritten and very expensive, making them only accessible to a small number of people. The printing press made books much more affordable and accessible, which led to a dramatic increase in literacy rates.
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