At the height of the Hussite crisis in the early 1400's, when the authorities ordered 200 manuscripts of heretical writings burned, people on both sides realized quite well the significance of that act. Two hundred handwritten manuscripts would be hard to replace. Not only would it be a time consuming job, but also trained scribes would be hard to find. After all, most of them worked for the Church, and it seemed unlikely that the Church would loan out its scribes to copy the works of heretics.
Although the Hussites more than held their own against the Church, their movement remained confined mainly to the borders of their homeland of Bohemia. One main reason for this was that there was no mass media, such as the printing press to spread the word. A century later, all that had changed. Like any other invention, the printing press came along and had an impact when the right conditions existed at the right time and place. In this case, that was Europe in the mid 1400's.
Like many or most inventions, the printing press was not the result of just one man's ingenious insight into all the problems involved in creating the printing press. Rather, printing was a combination of several different inventions and innovations: block printing, rag paper, oil based ink, interchangeable metal type, and the squeeze press. If one process started the chain reaction of events that led to the invention of the printing press, it was the rise of towns in Western Europe that sparked trade with the outside world all the way to China.
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That trade exposed Europeans to three things important for the invention of the printing press: rag paper, block printing, and, oddly enough, the Black Death. For centuries the Chinese had been making rag paper, which was made from a pulp of water and discarded rags that was then pressed into sheets of paper. When the Arabs met the Chinese at the battle of the Talas River in 751 A. D. , they carried off several prisoners skilled in making such paper. The technology spread gradually across the Muslim world, up through Spain and into Western Europe by the late 1200's.
The squeeze press used in pressing the pulp into sheets of paper would also lend itself to pressing print evenly onto paper. The Black Death, which itself spread to Western Europe thanks to expanded trade routes, also greatly catalyzed the invention of the printing press in three ways, two of which combined with the invention of rag paper to provide Europe with plentiful paper. First of all, the survivors of the Black Death inherited the property of those who did not survive, so that even peasants found themselves a good deal richer.
Since the textile industry was the most developed industry in Western Europe at that time, it should come as no surprise that people spent their money largely on new clothes. However, clothes wear out, leaving rags. As a result, fourteenth century Europe had plenty of rags to make into rag paper, which was much cheaper than the parchment (sheepskin) and vellum (calfskin) used to make books until then. Even by 1300, paper was only one-sixth the cost of parchment, and its relative cost continued to fall. Considering it took 170 calfskins or 300 sheepskins to make one copy of the Bible, we can see what a bargain paper was.
But the Black Death had also killed off many of the monks who copied the books, since the crowded conditions in the monasteries had contributed to an unusually high mortality rate. One result of this was that the cost of copying books rose drastically while the cost of paper was dropping. Many people considered this unacceptable and looked for a better way to copy books. Thus the Black Death rag paper combined to create both lots of cheap paper plus an incentive for the invention of the printing press.
The Black Death also helped lead to the decline of the Church, the rise of a money economy, and subsequently the Italian Renaissance with its secular ideas and emphasis on painting. It was the Renaissance artists who, in their search for a more durable paint, came up with oil-based paints. Adapting these to an oil-based ink that would adhere to metal type was fairly simple. Block printing, carved on porcelain, had existed for centuries before making its way to Europe. Some experiments with interchangeable copper type had been carried on in Korea.
However, Chinese printing did not advance beyond that, possibly because the Chinese writing system used thousands of characters and was too unmanageable. For centuries after its introduction into Europe, block printing still found little use, since wooden printing blocks wore out quickly when compared to the time it took to carve them. As a result of the time and expense involved in making block prints, a few playing cards and pages of books were printed this way, but little else. What people needed was a movable type made of metal.
And here again, the revival of towns and trade played a major role, since it stimulated a mining boom, especially in Germany, along with better techniques for working metals, including soft metals such as gold and copper. It was a goldsmith from Mainz, Germany, Johannes Gutenberg, who created a durable and interchangeable metal type that allowed him to print many different pages, using the same letters over and over again in different combinations. It was also Gutenberg who combined all these disparate elements of movable type, rag paper, the squeeze press, and oil based inks to invent the first printing press in 1451.
The first printed books were religious in nature, as were most medieval books. They also imitated (handwritten) manuscript form so that people would accept this new revolutionary way of copying books. The printing press soon changed the forms and uses of books quite radically. Books stopped imitating manuscript forms such as lined paper to help the copiers and abbreviations to save time in copying. They also covered an increasingly wider variety of non-religious topics (such as grammars, etiquette, and geology books) that appealed especially to the professional members of the middle class.
By 1482, there were about 100 printing presses in Western Europe: 50 in Italy, 30 in Germany, 9 in France, 8 each in Spain and Holland, and 4 in England. A Venetian printer, Aldus Manutius, realized that the real market was not for big heavy volumes of the Bible, but for smaller, cheaper, and easier to handle "pocket books". Manutius further revolutionized book copying by his focusing on these smaller editions that more people could afford. He printed translations of the Greek classics and thus helped spread knowledge in general, and the Renaissance in particular, across Europe.
By 1500, there were some 40,000 different editions with over 6,000,000 copies in print. The printing press had dramatic effects on European civilization. Its immediate effect was that it spread information quickly and accurately. This helped create a wider literate reading public. However, its importance lay not just in how it spread information and opinions, but also in what sorts of information and opinions it was spreading. There were two main directions printing took, both of which were probably totally unforeseen by its creators.
First of all, more and more books of a secular nature were printed, with especially profound results in science. Scientists working on the same problem in different parts of Europe especially benefited, since they could print the results of their work and share it accurately with a large number of other scientists. They in turn could take that accurate, not miscopied, information, work with it and advance knowledge and understanding further. Of course, they could accurately share their information with many others and the process would continue.
By the 1600's, this process would lead to the Scientific Revolution of the Enlightenment, which would radically alter how Europeans viewed the world and universe. The printing press also created its share of trouble as far as some people were concerned. It took book copying out of the hands of the Church and made it much harder for the Church to control or censor what was being written. It was hard enough to control what Wycliffe and Hus wrote with just a few hundred copies of their works in circulation.
Imagine the problems the Church had when literally thousands of such works could be produced at a fraction of the cost. Each new printing press was just another hole in the dyke to be plugged up, and the Church had only so many fingers with which to do the job. It is no accident that the breakup of Europe's religious unity during the Protestant Reformation corresponded with the spread of printing. The difference between Martin Luther's successful Reformation and the Hussites' much more limited success was that Luther was armed with the printing press and knew how to use it with devastating effect.
Some people go as far as to say that the printing press is the most important invention between the invention of writing itself and the computer. Although it is impossible to justify that statement to everyone's satisfaction, one can safely say that the printing press has been one of the most powerful inventions of the modern era. It has advanced and spread knowledge and molded public opinion in a way that nothing before the advent of television and radio in the twentieth century could rival. If it were not able to, then freedom of the press would not be such a jealously guarded liberty as it is today.
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FAQs
What was the printing press in the Renaissance? ›
Movable-type printing facilitated the spread of Renaissance ideas, modern science, and the Reformation with its emphasis on literacy and propelled Europe into a much different future. 1. Why do you think the Gutenberg Bible has been called a work of art and a wonder of technology?
What was the importance of the printing press? ›In the 15th century, an innovation enabled people to share knowledge more quickly and widely. Civilization never looked back. Knowledge is power, as the saying goes, and the invention of the mechanical movable type printing press helped disseminate knowledge wider and faster than ever before.
What was the importance of the printing press in Renaissance society quizlet? ›What effects did the invention of the printing press have on European society? Printed books became cheaper and easier to produce, which resulted in millions more books in circulation. More people learned to read and write and were therefore better educated and better informed. Books also spread new ideas quickly.
How did the invention of the printing press help spread ideas during the Renaissance? ›How did the invention of the printing press help spread learning and Renaissance ideas? It made it possible to produce books cheaper, so that more people could afford them. This made reading more common and also spread new information.
What is the printing press summary? ›The printing press is a device that allows for the mass production of uniform printed matter, mainly text in the form of books, pamphlets and newspapers.
Why was the printing press so important to the Renaissance music? ›The printing press didn't change that system of patronage overnight, but it did provide additional opportunities and freedom for composers. The printing press, by virtue of the volume of copies of musical scores, also greatly enhanced the preservation of the music of this and later periods.
How did the printing press impact us? ›Posters, flyers, pamphlets and mailers would not exist. The printing press allows us to share large amounts of information quickly and in huge numbers. In fact, the printing press is so significant that it has come to be known as one of the most important inventions of our time.
How did the printing press changed society? ›Printing made it possible to put information on paper quickly and cheaply, leading to an explosion in the distribution of books, pamphlets, pictures, and newspapers. It also enabled the creation of new forms of written communication. Printing accelerated the spread of knowledge and the dissemination of ideas.
How did the printing press impact society? ›The printing press revolutionized society by standardizing language, spreading ideas, increasing literacy, and growing the printing industry. The printing press was first developed in Europe by Johannes Gutenberg. It improved upon moveable type printing that had become available in Europe in the 15th century.
What was the importance of printing press in the development of reform movement? ›Answer:The printing press played a major role in the development of reform movement. After advanced machinery was invented, a larger number of books came to be printed. These books instilled feelings of nationalism and revolution in the readers and this led to the social reform movement.
What was one result of the printing press quizlet? ›
what was one important and lasting result of the invention of the printing press? it got news out there faster and it changed history they get books and ideas out to the public faster. they could get the news and copy stuff a lot faster.
How did the printing press inspire the Renaissance answer? ›The printing press made books and manuscripts easily accessible to everyone. People were able to express their ideas and thoughts easily. The printing press changed the methods of consuming and sharing information.
How did the printing press help for the growth of language? ›(lass, 1987) Then the invention of the Printing Press played a significant role in the spread of a common version of English, as more people were able to access books and the rules about the look of letters and spelling of words became more concrete.
What impact did the printing press have short term? ›Short Term and Long Term Effects
Book-making had been a long, tedious process before the printing press, but with the invention of the press, the process of making books was significantly shortened. With this quick process, books also became cheaper, thus allowing more types of people to be able to afford books.
The near-simultaneous discovery of sea routes to the West (Christopher Columbus, 1492) and East (Vasco da Gama, 1498) and the subsequent establishment of trade links greatly facilitated the global spread of Gutenberg-style printing.
How did the printing press preserve the past? ›The printing press allowed society to preserve documents that promoted traditional systems and classical knowledge, but doing so resulted in the reassessment of traditions and challenges to the status quo.
What was the importance of the printing press in the Middle Ages? ›Basically, the invention of printing made possible the multiplication of texts in the Middle Age, when the edition of books was highly restricted, it revolutionised culture increasing the number of potential readers due to the multiplication of the number of books and the reduction of their cost, therefore literacy had ...
What are some fun facts about the printing press? ›The invention of the printing press dramatically decreased the cost of reading materials and increased their accessibility to people. Estimates claim the printing press was able to create over 20 million copies between 1455 and 1500. Gutenberg style printing pressesd were able to output around 240 pages per hour.
Where was the first printing press created? ›The printing press is often said to have been created by Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany, around 1440 AD, and it began taking root in Europe in the 1450s with the printing of the aforementioned Bible.
How has the art of printing helped the human society? ›Printing had revolutionized the speed and range of distribution of texts. It permitted books to be printed at extremely high speeds in comparison to hand copying, potentially ushering in the age of bestsellers.
What were three effects of the printing revolution? ›
Printed books became more readily available because they were easier to produce and cheaper to make. More people were able to learn to read because they could get books to read. Readers were able to learn things about medicine, law, astrology, and mining as well as many new ideas.
How did the printing press impact the age of exploration? ›The printing press contributed to the Age of Exploration by speeding up the exchange of information and enabling the printing of maps. The printing press allowed travel and exploration narratives to be printed relatively cheaply and disbursed throughout Europe.
What was life like before the printing press? ›Prior to the invention of the printing press, all books and other materials had to be written by hand, usually by monks and other people in the Church. This was very time consuming and made books very expensive. As a result, only wealthy people could afford to have books and many people never learned to read at all.
Who invented the printing press and why was it important? ›Johannes Gutenberg is usually cited as the inventor of the printing press. Indeed, the German goldsmith's 15th-century contribution to the technology was revolutionary — enabling the mass production of books and the rapid dissemination of knowledge throughout Europe.
What was the printing press How did this change the world? ›Gutenberg's Groundbreaking Invention
Around 1436, German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg gifted the world with his revolutionary printing press, which made it possible to mass-produce books inexpensively and essentially pulled Europe out of the Dark Ages.
Reformation was an important consequence of the printing press however, an even better and more important consequence was Exploration. Exploration was clearly the most important consequence of the invention of the printing press.
What were the effects of printing on the development of music during the Renaissance period? ›The invention of the printing press in 1439 made it cheaper and easier to distribute music and music theory texts on a wider geographic scale and to more people. Prior to the invention of printing, written music and music theory texts had to be hand-copied, a time-consuming and expensive process.
What was the printing press used for in the Reformation? ›Protestants used the printing press to proliferate revolutionary theological material at a popular level, while the Catholic Church produced large quantities of anti-Reformation texts.
What was the impact of printing press on society? ›The printing press revolutionized society by standardizing language, spreading ideas, increasing literacy, and growing the printing industry. The printing press was first developed in Europe by Johannes Gutenberg. It improved upon moveable type printing that had become available in Europe in the 15th century.
What were the effects of the printing press? ›Printing made it possible to put information on paper quickly and cheaply, leading to an explosion in the distribution of books, pamphlets, pictures, and newspapers. It also enabled the creation of new forms of written communication. Printing accelerated the spread of knowledge and the dissemination of ideas.
What was the print revolution and its impact? ›
It was not just a development, a new way of producing books; it transformed the lives of people, changing their relationship to information and knowledge, and with institutions and authorities. Printing reduced the cost of books. Access to books created a new culture of reading.
Why was the printing press so important in the life of Martin Luther? ›The printing press helped Martin Luther by making it easier to pass his messages along to his followers and to the educated population of Europe. Prior to the invention of the printing press, all communications had to be written by hand, a very long and expensive process.
What is the history of printing technology? ›The history of printing starts as early as 3000 BCE, when the proto-Elamite and Sumerian civilizations used cylinder seals to certify documents written in clay tablets. Other early forms include block seals, hammered coinage, pottery imprints, and cloth printing.
What impact did the printing press have short and long term? ›Short Term and Long Term Effects
Book-making had been a long, tedious process before the printing press, but with the invention of the press, the process of making books was significantly shortened. With this quick process, books also became cheaper, thus allowing more types of people to be able to afford books.
Basically, the invention of printing made possible the multiplication of texts in the Middle Age, when the edition of books was highly restricted, it revolutionised culture increasing the number of potential readers due to the multiplication of the number of books and the reduction of their cost, therefore literacy had ...
How did the printing press impact humanism? ›The printing press, because it allowed for the mass distribution of ideas, brought the philosophy of the humanists to a much wider audience, which accelerated the pace at which those ideas became a part of public debate.
How did the printing press create a new reading public? ›(1) The print revolution created a new reading public as mentioned below : A new reading public emerged because printing reduced the cost of books, Books could be produced at a faster rate and were available in the market in large numbers. The books flooded the market, reaching out to an over-growing readership.