The invention of the printing press is one of the great inventions of mankind

It is well known that printing was first invented in China and used there as well as in Japan and Korea, and there is no doubt that European travelers and merchants to the Far East in the fourteenth century saw or heard of printed books. But there is no evidence that printing in Europe was learned from Asia. Western Europe seems to have invented printing independently. We are talking here about the invention of printing in Europe. From the earliest times until less than 500 years ago, every book in Europe was painstakingly written by hand. Although the scribes had amazing skill and speed in copying books, each fairly large book required a great deal of time and labor, and was therefore very expensive. Only rich people or wealthy institutions can have large collections of books.

Printing in Europe was invented during the Renaissance in the 15th century, which was the transition period from the Middle World to modern times. Printing today is an extremely complex process, the steps of which were perfected over centuries; But the main part is the moving font that can be used again and again to print the text. Another important factor is a paper that is easy to print, easy to handle, durable, and not too expensive. The ancient Greeks and Romans wrote in papyrus, a fiber made from tough reeds grown in the Nile Valley; But papyrus is heavy and expensive, and is not suitable for printing. Parchment (animal skin, especially sheepskin) was the standard material for hand-written documents in the Middle Ages and was durable; But parchment, like papyrus, was expensive and heavy, and not suitable for printing, and paper was the most suitable, but paper appeared rather late in Europe.

The earliest paper was probably made from silk by the Chinese in the 2nd century AD. Later, it seems that Muslims learned the knowledge of papermaking from the Chinese and used cotton instead of silk. In any case, cotton paper was made in Damascus in the 8th century, and this so-called Damascus paper was later introduced to Greece, Southern Italy, and Spain. In Spain, locally grown hemp and flax were used in place of cotton, and the resulting linen paper was widely used in Castile in the 13th century, and from there it spread to France and throughout Western Europe. It was not until the 15th century, when it was needed for the incipience of printing, that paper decisively triumphed over papyrus and parchment.

The idea of active fonts evolved from ancient practice. The ancient method is to carve a whole word or sentence on a block, paint it with ink on a suitable flat surface, and leave a clear impression. Medieval Kings and princes often engraved their signatures on wood or metal plates for easy use when signing, sealing, sealing, or charters. As early as the 12th century, similar engravings were used to reproduce drawings and handwriting. The process from block stamping, to engraving letters on many small pieces of wood or metal of equal height, then arranged in the desired order for printing, was a natural but slow step. The movable type is better than the largest integrated block, as long as the type is rearranged, you can complete unlimited printing work.

The change from block to movable type - the true history of the true invention of printing. Legend has it that the first European to manufacture and use movable type was Laurence Koster of the Dutch town of Haarlem. What we do know, however, is that around 1450, John Gutenberg used movable types in a printing shop in the German city of Mainz. One of the first products of this new technique was the Papal Epistle of Forgiveness and a translation of the Bible. Both were printed by Gutenberg in Mainz in 1454. Printing developed slowly, but spread rapidly.

After 1454, it was quickly adopted in Germany, Italy, France and England and indeed throughout Western Europe. Scholars welcomed it, churches praised it. The publication of books in Rome in 1466 was soon followed by the installation of many printing presses which became a glorious and profitable business in every large city. At the beginning of the 16th century, a wealthy and famous scholar, Altus Manutius, ran the famous printing house of Ardin in Venice, which printed exquisite editions of classics of Greek and Latin literature that are still considered masterpieces of the printing arts.

The format of movable type Early printers made their typefaces according to the type used by copyists when copying books. Different forms of calligraphy form different patterns. "Gothic" in large black font is popular in Germany. Roman typefaces in several clear and neat styles were more advanced in central and Western Europe. The compressed "block" style was devised by the Ardenne printing house in Venice to allow printers to squeeze a few more words onto a page.

During the sixteenth century, these new techniques were constantly expanding and developing. There are at least three obvious noteworthy effects. The supply of books has greatly increased. In earlier times, a skilled and industrious copyist might be able to copy two large books in a year. Now, in a single year in the 16th century, a single printing house could print 24,000 copies of Erasmus's works. (2) The increase in the supply of books has increased the demand for books. Prices have come down, and books that were once a dream for many people can now be truly enjoyed. Corresponding to this is the dissemination of knowledge, the promotion of education. (3) Thanks to printing, the accuracy of the content of the book is more guaranteed. When books were copied by hand, it was almost impossible for two copies of any part to be identical. Now, though mistakes are still inevitable, and occasionally absurd ones, serious errors and forgeries are virtually eliminated. At least, the number of copies in a given edition is always the same.

The invention of printing is undoubtedly one of man's greatest achievements. It took place in Western Europe in the 15th century at a time when expeditions were underway and the Classical Renaissance was at its height. The invention is a product of the Middle Ages; But its influence is so profound that it can be said that it has determined the character and quality of modern civilization more than any other factor.