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Printing Press

The printing press was one of the most pivotal developments in human communication technology and led to the rise of a new literacy, a codification of knowledge, and possibly the Reformation, Counter-Reformation, Renaissance, and rise of empiricism in Europe. Many scholars consider the printing press to have ushered in a new age based on typography, completely changing cultures throughout the world in the same way that the rise of writing had changed history and in the way that electronic culture would change communication five centuries later. This entry discusses the development and consequences of the printing press.

Development of the Printing Press

While the origins of the printing press are well-documented, it is less clear when printing itself began. The concept of block printing existed in ...

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