What did Johannes Gutenberg invent?
Quick answer
Johannes Gutenberg, a goldsmith from Mainz, Germany, invented a printing press with movable metal type around 1440. His system made it possible to print books quickly and cheaply for the first time in Europe. His most famous work, the Gutenberg Bible, was printed around 1455.
What made Gutenberg’s system new
Gutenberg combined several inventions into one efficient system:
| Element | Innovation |
|---|---|
| Movable metal type | Individual letters cast in a durable alloy of lead, tin and antimony, reused again and again |
| Hand mould | Let workers cast identical letters quickly |
| Oil-based ink | Stuck well to metal type, unlike water-based inks |
| Screw press | Adapted from wine and olive presses to press paper evenly onto type |
Before Gutenberg
In Europe, books were mostly copied by hand by scribes, often monks, a slow and expensive process. Movable type had been invented earlier in Asia:
- Bi Sheng in China made movable clay type around 1040.
- Korea printed the Jikji, the oldest surviving book printed with movable metal type, in 1377.
Gutenberg’s approach, suited to the small Latin alphabet, spread much faster in Europe.
The Gutenberg Bible
- Printed around 1455 in Mainz
- About 180 copies, some on paper and some on vellum
- Around 49 survive, among the most valuable books in the world
Why it changed the world
| Effect | Example |
|---|---|
| Books became cheaper | Literacy began to spread |
| Ideas spread fast | Martin Luther’s writings fueled the Protestant Reformation (1517) |
| Science advanced | Scientists could share and check each other’s work |
| Languages standardized | Printed books helped fix spelling and grammar |
By 1500, printing presses in more than 200 European cities had produced millions of books.
Gutenberg didn’t become rich; he lost control of his workshop to his investor Johann Fust after a lawsuit. For the next great leap in sharing information, see who invented the World Wide Web. For the first writing, see the first writing system.
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