This article is about the inventor of printing in Europe; for other uses, see
Guttenberg (disambiguation) and
Gutenberg. Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (c.
1400 –
February 3, 1468) was a
German goldsmith and
printer, who is credited with
inventing movable type printing in
Europe (c. 1439) and
mechanical printing globally. His major work, the
Gutenberg Bible, also known as the 42-line bible, has been acclaimed for its high aesthetic and technical quality. Among Gutenberg's specific contributions were the design of metal movable type, the invention of a process for making such type in quantity (mass production), the use of oil-based ink, and the use of a wooden
printing press similar to the screw olive and wine presses of the period. His truly epochal invention was the combination of these elements into a practical system. Gutenberg may have been familiar with printing; it is claimed that he had worked on copper
engravings with an artist known as the
Master of the Playing Cards. Gutenberg's method for making type is traditionally considered to have included a
type metal alloy and a hand mould for casting type.
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