The Gutenberg Revolution of 1455

Movable metal type, oil based ink, and a converted wine press: Gutenberg assembled existing technologies into the printing press around 1450 in Mainz. The 42 line Bible of 1455, about 180 copies, sold out before printing finished.

Within 50 years Europe printed more books than the previous thousand years produced. Print standardized languages, enabled the Reformation and the scientific revolution, and ended the age of the hand copied book..