The first print press ever made in human history is named after its inventor, Johann Gutenberg. He was a French goldsmith. The print press was modified and improved by many inventors and scientists from different countries afterward.
So, the print press has different upgrades and versions. All the versions are named after the modifier. So, the first print press technique is still known as the Gutenberg print press.
How Gutenberg Print Press Work
Gutenberg print press is the simplest form of print press. It was inspired by the idea of woodblock press printing. The difference is, the letters of this press were movable. So, the printmakers can move the letters instead of carve a whole new woodblock to print a new page.
The Gutenberg print press was used only on handmade paper. For ink, wine and olive ink were used. These materials were available at that time and were convenient for handwriting books. So, these were used for the print press as well. Later, just like the print press, ink and paper also improved a lot.
History Behind the Gutenberg Print Press
Before the invention of the first print press, in the 15th century, making written copies was only possible with handwriting. This process was extremely slow compared to the print press and costly. Only a handful of special craftsmen were certified to do so.
On the other hand, the books, handcrafted with handmade papers, used to cost a fortune. And only a few copies were made at a time. So, those books were only kept in personal collections of the elites of the society. The general people had no business of reading and writing.
So, most of them were illiterate and did not see a book in their lifetime. Only one or two public libraries were established at that time, and books were chained to prevent damage and theft.
Gutenberg Print Press Revolution
Print press is one of the most revolutionary inventions so far. It made a remarkable shift in multi-tier development in society. Social, educational, economic, political in a word, in every aspect of life, the impact of the print press was evident. Using the print press for educational purposes is the main reason that the world is literate now.
Print Services Nowadays
As mentioned earlier, the print press had innovated a lot within the last five centuries. Besides, other print techniques took place in the meantime. Now, anyone can print anything on paper, fabric, plastic, or even make 3d objects.
There are agencies that take online orders from clients to make prints on a commercial basis and deliver their products to their doorstep. Print Britannia, for example, is one of the most popular print shops.
They provide services like digital printing, t-shirt or apparel printing, carrier bag, signage, billboard, and whatnot. It is based in London. For UK citizens, print Britannia is one of the top favorites for opening a start-up business.
Last Thoughts
Printing techniques are multi-dimensional now. And it never stopped evolving. There is no need to know all the printing methods available in the market for making particular prints. Online print service stores are there to do the job perfectly.