Discover the Top 11 Amazing Fun Facts About the Revolutionary Printing Press!

1. Moveable Type Meets Paper Craze

Move over, Game of Thrones: it seems Europe's love for paper was creating a frenzy way before the legendary tussle between House Stark and House Lannister! While the noble Johannes Gutenberg flexed his literary muscles by inventing the movable-type printing press in the 15th century – revolutionizing book production – it was actually the paper industry, mechanized and spreading throughout the continent like wildfire, that set the world abuzz. The combo of efficient movable type and a thriving paper biz ushered in a new era of mass-produced books for all to enjoy!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Steamy Bestsellers Pre-Fifty Shades

Before Fifty Shades of Gutenberg: The printing press may have started off printing holy scriptures and oh-so-serious scholarly texts, but little did they know they were destined for steamy bestsellers too: Gutenberg's press paved the way for popular literature, with the German romance novel "Theuerdank" becoming one of its early bestsellers and giving common people a taste of literary indulgence.
Source => history.com

Did you know that the first successful typewriter was invented by four ingenious Americans in 1868, and it's responsible for the QWERTY keyboard layout we still use today? Discover the fascinating story behind this game-changing invention!

=> Fun Facts about The-Typewriter

3. Gutenberg Bible: The OG Beautiful Book

Move over Game of Thrones, the real OG of beautiful books is here: The Gutenberg Bible, printed in the 1450s, is not only the first major book printed using mass-produced movable metal type in Europe but also one of the most stunning artistic masterpieces ever made, valued for both its aesthetics and historical significance, leaving only 49 copies or substantial portions of copies to this day.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Gutenberg's Happiest Meal: Knowledge

Before Guten were the golden arches, there was Gutenberg and his happiest meal of all – knowledge: Johannes Gutenberg's 15th-century invention of the mechanical printing press allowed for the mass production of books, newspapers, and magazines, playing a pivotal role in increasing literacy rates and being regarded as one of the most influential inventions in history.
Source => associatedlp.com

5. Going Viral: 15th-century Style

Move over, gossip magazines and social media influencers: Johannes Gutenberg was the original king of making knowledge go viral with his invention of the movable-type printing press. This ingenious contraption made books affordable and accessible to the masses for the first time, changing the power dynamics in Europe and paving the way for the rise of the middle class.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Muggles, Hogwarts, and Printing Press Magic

Before Hogwarts sent out magical scrolls or the Daily Prophet's moving photographs: Johannes Gutenberg's humble printing press in 1440 set a spell in motion, opening up a world of page-turning wonders, boosting literacy rates, and sharing modern science, philosophy, and literature with Muggles everywhere. This enchanting innovation even emboldened Abdel Kader Haidara, who took on a thrilling smuggling quest in 2012 to rescue 350,000 manuscripts from al-Qaida Islamists in Mali and Timbuktu, preserving the ancient wisdom for future generations.
Source => smithsonianmag.com

7. The First Lumber-Based Artists

Who knew Gutenberg's printing press would lead to the world's first lumber-based artist: woodcutting! These pioneer printmakers not only had a way with words but also a serious knack for carving intricate scenes with bark and blades: not just for printing books and texts, the printing press was also used to create beautiful and detailed illustrations on woodcuts, demanding the craftsmanship of wood carvers and blacksmiths to make the blocks and tools necessary for transferring images onto paper.
Source => homework.study.com

8. Bible Printers Spark a Reformation

Move over, Bible Thumpers, make way for the Bible Printers: the printing press made religious texts, especially the Bible, widely accessible in Europe, leading to increased literacy, the Reformation, and the growth of the Protestant movement – however, Jewish, Islamic, and Eastern religious communities were less keen on adopting this technology, sticking to the old-school hand production of texts until the 18th and 19th centuries.
Source => scarc.library.oregonstate.edu

9. Gradual Virality Through Literacy

Back in the day when "going viral" meant waiting decades instead of days: The printing press, invented by good ol' Johannes Gutenberg in 1440, didn't instantly make folks into bibliophiles overnight, but rather gradually increased literacy rates in Europe over time as it made reading materials more widespread and accessible.
Source => mcsweeneys.net

10. Victorian Fontastic Time Travel

Step right up and witness the marvel of typographic time travel, where the elegance of yesteryears comes alive, font-astically speaking: The New Victorian Printshop is your one-stop destination for over 300 images and a myriad of authentic Victorian fonts, from display and text to symbols and borders, reinventing the exquisite designs from an era gone by.
Source => waldenfont.com

11. Printing Press Inkprints on Humanity

Once upon a time, when the only thing that went "viral" was the common cold, a little device known as the printing press was born, and boy, was it going to leave an indelible inkprint on humanity: Within the first ten years of its noisy existence, a whopping 2 million books were churned out across Europe, significantly skyrocketing book production and accessibility like never before in history.
Source => worldhistory.org