How has creativity affected a historical period and the future? Well, there are many instances where creativity has done just that. One of these instances is the invention of the printing press. The printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1436. The invention not only made an impact on its historical time period, but also had a great effect on the future. Without the invention of the printing press, most of today’s luxuries dealing with written material would not be available. Things like newspapers, magazines, books, etc. are all examples of things that would not have been possible without Gutenberg’s printing press.
The reason why the printing press needed to be invented was the need for a fast, simple, yet cost-efficient way to produce books. The world and the knowledge it contained was expanding rapidly, and there was a need for a way to store all of that information in what we can still read and use today. In order to do this, Johannes Gutenberg came up with, designed, and invented the printing press in 1436.
What inspired Gutenberg to invent the printing press? Well, the time period was in the midst of the Renaissance, with much cultural change. Many people were writing, not only books and stories, but also plays. This took much time to write everything by hand. With everyone’s hands full with writing, Gutenberg came up with the printing press. Thus, the new era of printing had begun!
Much like the earlier “movable type”, the printing press consisted of a block that contained what the final text would look like. Then, it was covered with ink and pressed onto the paper or parchment. Almost like a modern day printer, but with printers these days they can print anything that is sent to it digitally. After the press, the ink was left to dry and then you had the final product. Before all of the printing press ideas were even formulated, all books were written out by hand (and, a little bit later, they used the movable type I discussed earlier). This was very slow, and books were very expensive. The printing press mainly affected its time period because the process was much faster than anything that had been used before. Because it was faster and easier to produce books, the costs went down and there was a greater supply of them. Before the printing press, people would sometimes have to travel several miles to get to a library with maybe 15-20 books in it. The printing press changed all of this by making written material readily available to those who needed it.
Not only did it help the time period when it was invented, but it also evolved over time to what we have today. In just 500 years, the printing press turned into a digital machine, or as we know it, the printer. The printer is what just about every person has to use from time to time. It is vital for when you need a hard copy of something to be able to get it quickly. The printer helps us do that. Magazines, newspapers, books, etc are all made possible by the advancements in printing. Without them, life would not be the same as we know. It really is amazing that something invented a half-century ago was improved to what we have today.
Of course technology is already very advanced, but there is still room for improvement. The future of “printing” will all be on the internet. As some people have subscriptions to magazines that get delivered to their house, they will eventually just get them by email. All books will be digital and about any other type of reading material will, in time, turn virtual. Although this might seem a like a scary idea, it has to be looked at as an idea for change. If someone 50 years ago was told they could instantly send a message, or “e-mail” over a machine called a “computer” they would probably not even begin to comprehend that idea. But, that is what reality is, and it is very normal to people today. The changes that the printing press have on today have been astounding. We are able to use computers and instantly print what we have, a luxury we take for granted. Change is good, but some people do not like it. So, when we look at change, we have to look at it as an advancement for humanity and the greater good of the world.
Between the printing press and the modern day printer, there have been many other printers that slowly evolved to what we have today. In 1818, Chromolithography was invented. It was a major advancement in printing because it was the first time it allowed the user to print multiple colors on one page at the same time. In 1907, the first screen-printer was invented by Samuel Simon in England. The screen-printer used a thin, woven mesh which was brushed down with ink. Then it was pressed onto paper to make the page. One last important advancement made in printing was the invention of the laser printer which is still used today. The laser printer, first invented in 1969, was one of the greatest innovations in printing. It involves the use of a laser beam which shines on a round drum. That round drum then goes through a complex series of reactions which then fuses the ink to the paper. Although those are just a few of the different types of printing, we have come a long way with changing the original printing methods.
So, how has the creativity of the printing press affected a historical period and the future? Well, it made possible what was once considered impossible with mass production of books and other written materials. It also opened up doors to new and improved ideas, which we still use today. The advancements with printing have made an impact on our lives and will continue to do so. Gutenberg and his printing press will remain a very important part of the past, present, and our future.
