Centuries later, each sign is tilled in a separate piece of wood, which combined with others to form expressions. The system was faster, but the huge number of characters in the Chinese language difficult things. The first books, calendars and news were printed with these procedures.
JOHANNES GUTENBERG: THE INVENTOR OF THE PRINTING PRESS.
You do not have clear date of birth of the German inventor Johannes Gutenberg. But it has been determined who was born in Mainz, a small town in Germany, circa 1400. Coming from a noble family, his real name was Friele Gensfleisch. Nor have specific background of his death established that the event probably occurred in late 1467 or early 1468.
In his hometown, he worked as a goldsmith. He moved with his family to Strasbourg, where he set up a company of woodcuts, which would be the starting point for the future development of his legacy.
Numerous studies have been determined if it was indeed the inventor of the printing press and movable letters. Some have concluded that no. Background corroborate the Babylonians, in antiquity known printing clay seals and Chinese, circa 1041, also printed with such letters. Moreover, in the Middle Ages were recorded using full-page woodcuts.
However, we can attribute to Gutenberg using movable metal type not previously used, but does not really know who was the first to implement. Researchers say the first was the Dutchman Laurens Janszoon. What is known for sure is that Gutenberg built between 1436 and 1450, a device that successfully managed to fuse the metal letters used in his earlier books, with which printed his famous Bible in 1455. As an anecdote can tell that because their debts, Gutenberg was repossessed and printing that made him famous was in the hands of its creditors, who with the sale of the Bible increased by five times their initial investment.
Gutenberg invented nothing really. Long before him, the Chinese had developed the techniques of printing and papermaking. Goldsmiths already knew making chisels and Rhineland vintners and screw presses used in their harvests. But no one had yet met these different inventions. German printer ingenuity led him to develop a truly effective for the reproduction of texts written mechanical device. So it can be considered as the true father of the modern book.
For the professor of physiology at the School of Medicine at UCLA, a Gutenberg he should be distinguished by their advances in the use of printing "a technique for mass production with metal letters, a new metal aliación for types and ink printing with paint. It would also be advisable to locate Gutenberg as a symbol because it opened the publishing industry in the West with the Bible of 1455. "
In 1450 he teamed up with Johannes Fust, who lent him eight hundred guilders for which installed printing, melt the metal letters and buy the parchment to print the Bible. The loan considered the salaries of assistants and livelihoods of Gutenberg himself.
Two years later Fust gave the same amount again to the end of the project that included two volumes of the holy book. But lacking ornamentation hand and the filling of the forms. Fust annoying finally decide to go to court demanding that he return the money immediately.
The improvement of movable metal type was what caused him major problems, as can be deduced from the many tests carried out without success. The most immediate was the choice of the basis of print: parchment, expensive and unusual element was not smooth enough and light enough to facilitate quick and clean working.
Despite the simplicity of the Gutenberg printing press meant for investing almost his entire life perfecting it. It revolutionized the cultural, political, social and even religious life of much of mankind.
Second edition:
The so-called "Gutenberg Bible", printed in 1455, is one of the treasures of the National Library of Austria and will be digitized under Austrian publisher Hollinek reported. The project objective is to commemorate the twenty-first century Gutenberg and facilitate access to the European cultural heritage using technology for both scanning as for reprint.
