The Gutenberg Press l 1450 AD

Gutenberg Press.

What is Johannes Gutenberg credited with? Inventing the technology of printing wit movable type.


Post a photo of the Gutenberg Press.


How did the printing press work? Ink was rolled over the raised surface of movable hand-set black letters held within a wooden from. Form was pressed against a sheet of paper.

What motivated Gutenberg to find a better way of creating books? He didn't like how expensive they were.

Why did Gutenberg experiment with metal type versus wood type? Because they would spilt in the press.

Movable Type.

Post an example of movable type in a type case. 


What is movable type? The system of printing that uses movable components to reproduce the elements of a document.

What is a matrix? A hard metal punch is hammered into a softer copper bar.

What ink did Gutenberg develop that he used specifically for the printing press? An oil-based ink.

What is paper made from? Wood pulp. Where did paper originate? In China.

What is a "substrate"? 
Who did Gutenberg seek to help with the invention of the press? Yohan Fust. Close to the end of the 5 years, what happened? Fust would get the printing press, tools and materials.

The Bible.

What was the first book he printed? The Bible. Post an example of this book. 

How did the Gutenberg Press impact communication? Perfected script and made it easier to read, books were made rapidly, current information could be shared locally and around the world, coast of books decreased allowing more people to buy them, the demand grew and the population become literate, people wanted books written in their own language and a greater variety of books, book trade began to flourish as well as industries such as paper making, economies, art and science began to flourish which led to the beginning of the Renaissance.

Who introduced the printing press to England? William Caxton.

What was the early form of newspapers? Trade newsletters.

When was the first news weekly published? 1704. What was it called? The Boston Letter.

What kind of press was built in the US in the mid 1800s? A steam powered rotary press.

1930s Printing Press.

Post an example of a 1930s printing press. 



By the late 1930s, presses had increased in efficiency and were capable of 2,500 to 3,500 impressions per hour. What is meant by "impression"? The number of printings made at different times from the same set of type.

Which printing process is the Gutenberg press an example of? Intaglio or printmaking.

Screen Printing Press.

Briefly describe the process? Ink is applied, then rubbed with a cloth to remove to excess. Damp paper is placed on top. A press applies pressure to transfer the ink to the paper.

Intaglio Press.

Post an example of an intaglio press. 


What is intaglio printing and how is ink transferred? In the form os intaglio printing called etching, the plate is covered in a resin ground or an acid-resistant was material. Ink is applied to the surface by wiping and/or dabbing the plate to push the ink into the bitten grooves.


Post an example of a screen (porous) printing press.


What is porous printing and how is ink transferred? Its basic stencil process. Ink is forced through open mesh areas.

Lithography Printing Press.

Post an example of a lithography printing press.


What is lithography and how is ink transferred? Drawing, or artwork, is made on the plate with greasy ink or crayon. Ink is applied. Ink is spread on top.


Post an example of a offset lithography printing press.

What variation of lithography is used by the commercial printing industry today? Offset Lithography.

How do printing presses used today compare to the Gutenberg Press? 

Describe four-color process printing using CMYK?