Johannes Gutenberg

Place: Mainz

Death: 1468

Biography:

Johannes Gutenberg was a German craftsman and inventor who originated a method of printing from movable type. He was born in Mainz, Germany in the 14th century and started his working life as a merchant. He then moved into work as a blacksmith and goldsmith. Sometime in his 30s, Gutenberg moved to Strasbourg. He became heavily indebted due to a failed investment in holy mirrors, and it is said that he promised his creditors that they could have a share in the new printing press that he was working on. Gutenberg's printing press revolutionized the creation of books and helped make them affordable, ushering in a new era of affordable books and literature. The key element of the printing press was the use of moveable type printing, adjustable wooden characters (later metal), the use of an oil-based ink and a wooden printing press derived from the screw presses used in agriculture. With the new invention, 42 lines could be printed at once, dramatically reducing the labour and cost of creating books. Gutenberg died in Mainz, Germany in 1468.