While pinpointing the exact moment and inventor of the first printing press remains shrouded in history, evidence suggests that the earliest forms of printing emerged in China during the first millennium A.D. This pioneering era laid the groundwork for future innovations, forever changing how information was disseminated.
The Diamond Sutra, a revered Buddhist scripture discovered in Dunhuang, China, stands as the oldest complete woodblock printed book known to exist. Dating back to approximately 868 A.D. during the Tang Dynasty, this remarkable artifact showcases the sophistication of early Chinese printing techniques.
Block Printing: The Precursor to First Press Printing
The creation of The Diamond Sutra employed a method called block printing. This technique involved meticulously carving text and illustrations in reverse onto wooden blocks. These blocks were then inked and pressed onto paper or fabric to produce printed pages. Numerous other texts from Dunhuang have survived, offering a glimpse into the diverse applications of block printing at the time. These include a printed calendar from around A.D. 877, mathematical charts, vocabulary guides, etiquette manuals, funeral and wedding instructions, children’s educational materials, dictionaries, and almanacs.
This period of early printing also witnessed a shift in book formats. The traditional rolled scrolls began to give way to book-formatted texts, resembling the codices we recognize today. Woodblock printing extended beyond China, finding adoption in Japan and Korea. Furthermore, the development of metal block printing during this era, primarily for Buddhist and Taoist texts, demonstrates continuous experimentation and refinement in printing methods.
Bi Sheng and Moveable Type: A Revolution in First Press Printing Concepts
A significant leap forward in First Press Printing came with Bi Sheng, a Chinese artisan from Yingshan, Hubei, who lived between roughly 970 and 1051 A.D. Bi Sheng is credited with inventing moveable type, a groundbreaking innovation that replaced entire printing blocks with individual, reusable characters.
Bi Sheng’s initial moveable type was crafted from clay, which was then baked to harden. These individual clay characters were arranged within an iron frame and pressed against an iron plate to produce printed material. The earliest documented account of Bi Sheng’s invention appears in Dream Pool Essays, a book penned in 1086 by the scientist Shen Kuo. Shen Kuo noted that Bi Sheng’s nephews inherited his typefaces after his passing.
Shen Kuo’s writings provide valuable insights into Bi Sheng’s material choices. Bi Sheng opted for baked clay over wood due to wood’s inconsistent texture, tendency to absorb moisture and ink adhesion issues. Baked clay proved to be a more durable and easily reusable material for the first press printing process using moveable type. By the Southern Song Dynasty (1127 to 1279 A.D.), books had become widespread, fostering the growth of a scholarly class essential for civil service. Large book collections also emerged as symbols of wealth and status.
Wang Chen and Wood Type Revival in First Press Printing
Wood type experienced a resurgence in 1297 thanks to Wang Chen, a magistrate of Ching-te. Wang Chen employed wood type to print Nung Shu, a treatise on agriculture and farming practices. He refined the process of wood type creation, making the wood more durable and precise.
Wang Chen also introduced a revolving table for typesetters to improve organization and efficiency, thereby accelerating the printing process. Nung Shu is regarded as the world’s first mass-produced book. Remarkably, it was exported to Europe and documented numerous Chinese inventions that are often mistakenly attributed to European origins. Wang Chen’s woodblock type method continued to be utilized by printers in China for centuries.
Johannes Gutenberg: Revolutionizing First Press Printing in Europe
In Europe, the advent of the printing press occurred approximately 150 years after Wang Chen’s advancements. Johannes Gutenberg, a goldsmith and inventor from Mainz, Germany, began experimenting with printing around 1440 while in political exile in Strasbourg (then part of the Holy Roman Empire). He later returned to Mainz, and by 1450, he had perfected a printing machine ready for commercial application: the Gutenberg press.
The Gutenberg Press: A Landmark in First Press Printing Technology
Gutenberg’s ingenious design incorporated crucial innovations. He replaced wood with metal for the printing components and employed individual letter blocks, thus creating the European version of moveable type, a pivotal moment in first press printing history. To facilitate the mass production of type for various printing projects, Gutenberg adopted the concept of replica casting. This involved creating reversed letters in brass and then using these as molds to cast replicas from molten lead.
Some researchers theorize that Gutenberg might have utilized a sand-casting system, using carved sand to create the metal molds. The letter blocks were meticulously designed to fit together uniformly, ensuring level lines and consistent columns of text on the printing surface. Gutenberg also formulated his own ink, specifically designed to adhere to metal type, unlike inks formulated for wood. Furthermore, he adapted a winepress, traditionally used for pressing grapes and olives, into his printing press design to effectively flatten printing paper.
The Gutenberg Bible: The First Major Product of First Press Printing
Gutenberg secured funding from Johannes Fust to support his venture. In 1452, Fust became Gutenberg’s partner in book production. Their initial projects included printing calendars, pamphlets, and other ephemeral materials. However, in 1452, Gutenberg achieved a monumental milestone by producing the Gutenberg Bible, the first substantial book printed using his press. It is estimated that he printed around 180 copies of the 1,300-page Bible, with approximately 60 on vellum. Each page featured 42 lines of text in Gothic type, arranged in double columns and incorporating some colored letters.
For the Bible production, Gutenberg utilized 300 distinct molded letter blocks and 50,000 sheets of paper. Numerous fragments of these Bibles have survived to this day. Currently, 21 complete copies of the Gutenberg Bible exist, along with four complete vellum versions, testaments to the enduring legacy of first press printing.
Gutenberg’s Legacy and Peter Schoffer’s Contributions to First Press Printing
In 1455, Fust foreclosed on Gutenberg. In the ensuing legal dispute, Gutenberg’s printing equipment was transferred to Fust and Peter Schoffer of Gernsheim, Germany, a former calligrapher. While Gutenberg is believed to have continued printing, possibly producing an edition of the Catholicon, a Latin dictionary, in 1460, his printing endeavors ceased after that year, possibly due to failing eyesight. He passed away in 1468.
Peter Schoffer swiftly capitalized on Gutenberg’s press, proving to be a technically superior printer and typographer. Within two years of acquiring the press, he produced a highly acclaimed edition of The Book of Psalms, distinguished by a three-color title page and varied typefaces within the book. Notably, this edition marked the first known inclusion of a colophon, the section of a book providing publication details. Ten copies of this edition of The Book of Psalms are still known to exist, further illustrating the early advancements in first press printing and book production.
The Rapid Expansion of First Press Printing Across Europe
The printing trade proliferated across Europe, largely due to German printers who had apprenticed with Gutenberg and subsequently established their own printing businesses, disseminating their knowledge to others. Italy became the second European nation to embrace Gutenberg’s invention, with the printing press arriving in 1465. By 1470, Italian printers had established a thriving trade in printed materials.
German printers were invited to set up presses at the Sorbonne in Paris in 1470. The Sorbonne librarian selected books for printing, primarily textbooks for students. By 1476, other German printers had migrated to Paris and founded private printing firms. Spain welcomed German printers in Valencia in 1473, with printing spreading to Barcelona by 1475. In 1495, Portugal invited printers to Lisbon.
William Caxton, an Englishman who had resided in Bruges (present-day Belgium) for many years, introduced Gutenberg’s invention to England in 1476. Caxton traveled to Cologne in 1471 to learn printing, intending to establish a press in Bruges and publish his own translations. Upon his return to England, he set up a press in Westminster Abbey, serving as a printer for the monarchy until his death in 1491.
The Transformative Impact of First Press Printing on the World
The widespread adoption of the printing press facilitated the rapid dissemination of ideas, posing a challenge to established power structures in Europe. In 1501, Pope Alexander VI threatened excommunication for anyone printing manuscripts without Church authorization. Two decades later, the widespread circulation of books by John Calvin and Martin Luther realized Alexander’s fears, fueling the Reformation.
Further challenging the status quo, Copernicus published On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres, a work deemed heretical by the Church. By 1605, the first official newspaper, Relation, was printed and distributed in Strasbourg. Newspapers emerged across Europe, solidifying the printing press’s role in promoting literacy, education, and the widespread accessibility of uniform information for ordinary people.
HISTORY Vault: 101 Inventions That Changed the World
Explore the groundbreaking inventions that have profoundly reshaped our lives, from the steam engine to the internet.
Sources
The Invention of Printing. Theodore Low De Vinne.
500 Years of Printing. S.H. Steinberg.
Printer’s Error: An Irreverent History of Books. Rebecca Romney.
Science and Civilisation in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Paper and Printing. Joseph Needham, Tsien Tsuen-Hsuin.
Cambridge Illustrated History of China. Patricia Buckley Ebrey.
