Gutenberg Movable Type Printing

Timeline

1. 1451–1452Mainz · MainzGutenberg and his partner Fust completed the assembly of the printing press and the type-casting process in Mainz; the workshop officially entered trial production, beginning to print small quantities of indulgences and Latin grammar textbooks.
2. 1454–1456Mainz · MainzThe Gutenberg Bible (Forty-Two-Line Bible) was printed in about 180 copies, the first book in Europe produced in large quantities with movable type printing; its high printing quality marked the beginning of the era of mechanically reproduced books.
3. 1457–1460Middle Rhine region · Rhine basinFust and his apprentice Peter Schöffer continued to expand the capacity of the Mainz workshop; printing shops using similar technology began to appear in nearby cities such as Strasbourg, and movable type printing entered an initial phase of diffusion.