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Renaissance Printing Press

Introduction

Renaissance printing press uses ink to print media such as cloths and papers. The device applies ink to the resting surface through application of pressure. In the second millennium, printing of papers and invention of the printing press are regarded as the most influence events. The printing press invention took place in the Holy Roman Empire around 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg. The printing press displaced the early printing system. A single renaissance printing press could print 3,600 each day. This made many author of the time like Luther to produce thousands of their books. Printing system spread all over and by 1500 the entire Western Europe region had produced more than 20 million books. The printing press changed the face of the world with many people receiving a message through press. The arrival of movable printing in Renaissance Europe led to introduction of mass communication. Mass communication changed the structure of the society. Renaissance printing press has brought many changes to the modern society. It has changed the political, economical and social structures.

History

The first block printings come to Christian Europe. They used to print cloths in 1300. The images printed on cloths included large religious images. The introduction of paper in 1400 made Christians to print on papers and cards, which passed religious messages to different people. In the fifteenth century, woodcut books and block books with texts and images become the cheapest (Patrick 34). This spread in many regions of Western Europe. The most common used was the Biblia pauperum and the Ars moreindi, followed by movable type introduction. The movable type was invented between 1440 and 1460. Currently, mass communication has replaced most of the printing press. The whole world has got access of the use of the printing press.

Economic condition

The renaissance printing press led to development of the world’s economy. Many countries developed with the introduction of new technologies. Entrepreneur spirit of capitalism led to production of medieval models with improvement of the traditional working process. The increase in medieval learning by the middle class led to increased demand for books. This led to production of many hand copies which fall short of accommodating. People demanded books than the printing press industries could manage. Many people started this business and made a huge profit (Eisenstein 25).

Business people thought of how they could make more profit and work to meet customer’s demand. Many printing presses emerged. People thought of technology advancements, and they introduced machines which could print more books per day. Many people engaged in the printing business. Other people started training people on how to use the printing devices. The printing press resulted to emergency of printing college books and expansion of the printing industry. The industry spread over many countries, as a result of business enlargement (Bernstein 89).

Printing press earned people a lot of money. The owners of the devices were able to collect a lot of money. They also paid taxes and other tributes to the government. The enlargement and increase of income from the industry led to developed of the communication media. People in Europe started using communication devices to sent a message from one region to another. The emergency of the communication media led to the advancement in education. People shared information and knowledge from different points easily (Brotton 71).

Currently, printing media demand has increases with many people owning private printing companies like Longman, Routledge, Academic Publisher, McGraw-Hill and Green Lions among others. Those companies pay taxes to the government. The companies also offer job opportunities to many youth from university. They also provide training on writing and printing services. In the current world, many people have benefited from the printing press. The communication media also uses the printing press to create working materials. Many companies and private business use the printing press in marketing (Patrick 23). They advertise their products through news papers, billboards and cloths. Generally, the printing press has developed governments, individuals, organizations and private business economically.

The emergency of many printing companies led to increase in competition. The printing companies competed to attract more customers. This led to introduction of high quality machines which could print high quality papers. The authors preferred the companies which had fair prices and high quality work. Currently, each company in the industry operates with effective devices, which ensure speed and high quality at the same time. Many people started manufacturing the devices. The manufactures of the printing devices also competed, and this led to introduction of new machines which match the technology. Currently, people use automatic machines to print books and cloths (Brotton 35).

Technological factors

The development of social cultural and economic systems led to introduction and improvement of technology. A lot of medieval products and technological improvement reached maturity and allowed potential use for printing purposes. Gutenberg combined strands to complete and functioning systems. He perfected the printing process by adding new inventions and innovations. As the technology changed the printing device changed. The emergency of computer led to development of new devices. In the modern world people can use an automatic printing process, which can print more than 200 pages per minute (Patrick 60).

The printing press led to introduction and emergency of new technology. The advertisement and advancement in education led to emergency of new devices. The increase in demand led to introduction of printing devices which could handle large volume of work while ensuring high quality. In the current world, people read articles and books about new technology and apply it in their daily life (Bernstein 78).

Advent of the printing press

The invention of the press led to loss of western culture’s medieval characteristics and changing modern. This changed from a hand written book to the printed book. Gutenberg did not carry out printing only but also creation of variable width, movable, metal type. Petrarch’s Cicero’s rhetoric flourished in Italy at the age of the hand copy books. The culture of the book did not change much with the influence of the printing press. Lack of the spread of encouragement of the new technology forced many manuscript book dealers like Vespasiano to close up their shops (Patrick 56).

Printing press advents come late for adaptation in the new epoch. It is believed to have come during the time of Giotto and Petrarch before Gutenberg. The technological and cultural changes did not take concern of the changes, which occurred as a result of auspices of scribes. The Italian Renaissance went through many changes, which could be as a result of the advent. Printing is believed to have emerged as a result of renaissance spirit. In 1500, many printing materials emerged, but with the same number of products produced by scribes (Patrick 36).

In education

The impact of the printing press delayed in education. Many people were illiterate and never showed interest of the written materials. The only people concerned included literate elite who recorded sermons, adages, poems and orations with a purpose of serving the needs of teachers in traditional Christian ends and preachers. The new approach in education increased the demand of the printing press. It was called new learning and learned from classic text not addressed in the medieval texts. The classic text did not include medieval materials and it did not also challenge the Christian belief. Many scholars published reading materials which provided learners with useful information. Printing of books and poems helped learners in different countries to receive the author’s message (Bernstein 56).

Political and Social Impact

The printing press has influenced the political and social systems negatively and positively. New and advanced political policies emerged. The authors who wrote poems made the readers understand the need of organizing and developing new organizations. Through the printing press, people could understand the meaning of establishing charitable organization. They also understand the meaning of healthcare systems and entertainment. People also developed the desire for power and leadership. This led to the formation of political parties and structures. The emergencies of election of leaders in many jurisdictions come up as a result of printing media. Formations of charitable and aid organization also come up as a result of printing media. The material published by early scholars made people desire power, and joining organizations (Patrick 89).

The printing media has led to emergency of communication media. Communication media led to emergency of new social media like Facebook, twitter, yahoo and Google among others. People have been able to exchange social values within communities. The printing press also has led to intermarriage between many communities. People have engaged in drinking and consumption of different drugs. They learned from printed materials that drugs reduce stress level. The current community has faced many social challenges, as a result of the printing press (Bernstein 56). The challenges include divorce, drug abuse, domestic violence and crime among others.

Conclusion

Renaissance printing press has brought up reforms in economical, political and social systems. The reforms affect the systems both negatively and positively. It has enabled many people to develop economically and technologically. People should make use of the printing press pass knowledge to others. People should also take care of the press and prevent destructive measures from taking place.