Chapter 1. Composition
A Little Bit of History
To many people the year 1440 signifies a major shift in global communication. It was during this time in Mainz, Germany, that a goldsmith by the name of Johannes Gutenberg invented one of the most important industrial machines of the modern period: the printing press.
The printing press’s use of movable type was inspired by earlier uses found in China and Japan as early as the 7th century. During this time, printers used a method of block printing, which involved a carved piece of wood used to print a specific piece of text.
Further advances took place in the 11th century. A Chinese alchemist, Bi Sheng, invented a process called movable type. His process consisted of having individual Chinese characters carved on blocks of clay and glue. These blocks were arranged on a preheated piece of iron plate where they were pressed on paper. Bi Sheng’s process was not without limitations, however. The process was slow and was not advantageous for large-scale printing, and it relied on clay blocks, which created problems with the adhesion of ink.
A Revolution Has Begun
Gutenberg’s invention advanced the process of movable type further, and consisted of individually cut or cast letters, sorted onto composing sticks, locked up into galleys, and then inked and impressed into paper. This, the invention of modern typography, marked the birth of mass printing. It allowed information to move from merely permanent and portable to the first mass-media product. ...