Invention of Printing

History is always interesting & curious for humans. When we think about history of printing in today's modern and digitalized World, we get blank about the history behind it. 'How printing was exactly started?' 'Who started it?' and many more questions are here in this article. So, let`s we start.

It is not possible to date exactly regarding inventor as well as invention of printing, because there was no patent law at that past time. So, the inventors were not have the facility to keep secret or registered the details of their inventions. The first evidence of printing inventor and invention is dated 12 Dec, 1439 in Strasburg when the court issued its verdict. The discovery of printing is attributed to Johan Gensfleisch zum Gutenberg or more simply Johan Gutenberg.

As a goldsmith Gutenberg was used to working in metal, particularly in the fabricating of small letters on medallions or other precious objects, and he would be familiar with the techniques of working in relief which had been known to goldsmiths for some time. These skills were essential for the delicate work needed to make type. At the basis of the discovery was the creation of a mould which allowed the manufacture of any quantity of type uniform in all respects. Gutenberg solved the problem in this way. First, he made a letter in relief in a very hard metal which used to punch the letter in reverse in a matrix made of a somewhat softer metal, often brass. This matrix was a thin strip of metal with the punched letter in reverse at its head. The matrix was then put into the mould, in which there was a four sided cavity with one side that was hinged. When the matrix was at the bottom of this cavity with the punched letter facing upwards, hinged side was closed and molten lead or some other soft metal was poured in from the top. When this metal hardened the letter would be in relief at the top of a thin shank which could be easily removed by opening the hinged side of the mould. Since all letters were made in the same mould they would all have a shank of the same dimensions. Different letters were obtained simply by changing the matrix the mould. The manufacturing process was simple enough and could be performed by one man, who would melt the metal in a crucible and make the necessary type by hand. This way of making type remained substantially unchanged for centuries.

With time inventions reached at higher peak of technologies, and typographic technology start revolutionized the industries. Smarter printers were start replacing older ones. With invention of computer, photo-optical systems and laser technologies, printing become more and more powerful and easier for human today.