The History of Letterpress

According to Mersad Berberović, the essence of letterpress printing hasn’t changed much since it began. The main difference between then and now is time and efficency. The form of letterpress printing dates back to 175 CE, and originated from China, where they had also invented paper 75 years earlier. Letterpress Printing involves using the impressions of an inked surface with another material. Throughout the years this form of printing spread to other countries such as Turkey, Korea, Japan, Asia, and Europe. It's important to note that the printing press is what allowed for mass production of printed texts, such as books, pamphlets, and newspapers, making it accessible to more people.

Johannes Gutenberg was born in Mainz, Germany. He was an inventor and is responsible for futher developing the printing press which revolutionized society. Gutenberg's design involved switching out wood for metal and creating printing blocks for each letter, allowing for moveable type! He also perfected a method for flattening printing paper by using a winepress in his printing press design. Berberović goes on to explain that in order to make type available in large quantities, Gutenberg utilized a concept of replica casting. Replica Casting is when letters are formed in reverse brass, where the replicas made from these molds are poured by molten lead. Letters were formed to fit together in a uniform way to create perfectly level lines of letters and consistent columns on flat surfaces. Futhermore, Gutenberg also created his own ink that was designed to bind to the metal type seamlessly, had he not made his own ink it would not have been able to bind to the type in a seamless way.

The spread of the printing trade was due to the workers who helped Gutenberg in his early printing experiments. They went on to become printers who taught their skill to others. Italy became the next recipient of Gutenberg's invention and by 1470 Italian printers were becoming successful in the skill. At the same time, German printers were invited to set up their printing presses in Paris and were asked to print textbooks for students to learn from. Other German printers had moved to Paris to set up printing shops. In 1473, Spain welcomed German printers and this spread to Barcelona in 1475, and in 1495 Portugal invited printers to set up in the town of Lisbon. In addition, Gutenberg's invention was eventually brought to England in 1476 through William Caxton who went on to set up a press in Bruges to publish his own translations of various works. Gutenberg's invention allowed for the mass production of affordable written media we see today, like books, newspapers, etc.