1. Illuminated Manuscripts: beautiful but oh so time consuming…

2. The printing press was invented by Johann Gutenberg Gutenberg was from Mainz, Germany He invented a mechanical way of producing books that surpassed any existing technology His first books were printed in 1454-1455 Before Gutenberg, every book in Europe had to be copied by hand (very expensive and time consuming)

3. The Chinese printed books even before the Europeans. The Chinese used movable type, but it was made of wood. The Chinese did not have a press. Wood deteriorated over time Still time consuming and not cheap!

4. Gutenberg’s Improvements 1.the printer's ink 2.the making of type 3.the use of a press 4.the production process itself

5. The Ink It was not really ink at all, more like an oil paint It is unlike writing-ink, which was water- based Water-based ink would have run off the metal types. Instead the thick, oil-based varnish stuck to them. Oil did not absorb like water ink Could make multiple copies with one application of ink

6. The Types Types = Letters, Punctuation marks, and other signs Gutenberg invented a way of mass-producing them They were made out of metal They could be put together to form words, sentences, and pages After printing the page, the types could then be reused

7. The Press One of Gutenberg's most radical ideas was to use a press for printing. Presses had been around for a long time, but were used for other purposes, notably wine-making. Even pressure on paper

8. The Production Process Each individual had a specific task Similar to an assembly line Was utilized across Europe Faster, more efficient, greater output!

9. The Gutenberg Bible The text of the Bible is in Latin. The Gutenberg Bible lacks many print features that modern readers are accustomed to, such as word spacing, indentations, and paragraph breaks. The Bible has over 1280 pages, and the text was laid out in two columns. The Bible was also printed in English, French, and German. One copy can be seen in the Library of Congress

10. Gutenberg’s Impact Gutenberg's invention did not make him rich It made books easier to produce, cheaper, and widely disseminated. Books, newspapers and pamphlets are mass-produced. Ideas spread rapidly. People were able to debate and discuss matters that concerned them = growth of literacy. There were more attempts at censorship, as those in authority felt threatened by the new abundance of information. Sparked many religious revolutions. Allowed the common man to posses a Bible for his own interpretation.