Gutenberg

Johannes Gutenberg (c. 1400–c. 1468) was a German craftsman and inventor who introduced movable type printing to Europe. Working in Mainz, he developed a printing press that combined a screw press with reusable metal type cast from an alloy of lead and tin (and sometimes antimony). The system used oil-based ink and a standardized page format, enabling faster and more reliable reproduction of texts than hand copying.

Gutenberg is best known for printing the Gutenberg Bible, produced around 1455 and also called the 42-line Bible. It is regarded as the first major book printed in the Western world with movable type. The efficiency and durability of his method helped spread literacy, facilitated the diffusion of humanist and scientific ideas, and contributed to the cultural shifts of the Renaissance and Reformation. The invention led to the growth of print shops, the standardization of typography, and the emergence of mass-produced printed works.

Details of Gutenberg’s life are limited, and he faced legal and financial disputes, including with his business partner Johann Fust, who financed part of the operation and later acquired equipment. Gutenberg died in Mainz in the late 1460s, and his legacy is recognized as foundational to modern printing and the rapid dissemination of information.

The name Gutenberg is also associated with Project Gutenberg, a separate digital library founded in 1971 by Michael S. Hart that provides free e-texts of public domain works. It honors the inventor’s legacy but operates independently from his historical work.