Metal Movable-Type Printing

Timeline

1. 1451–1453Mainz · MainzGutenberg's experiments determined a ternary alloy formula with lead as the base plus tin and antimony; the alloy has a low melting point, good fluidity, and sufficient hardness after cooling, making it suitable for mass-casting small character sorts and establishing the European standard for lead type.
2. 1454–1456Mainz · MainzTo print the 42-Line Bible, Gutenberg's workshop cast tens of thousands of Latin sorts, each with uniform height and width specifications, allowing compositors to assemble pages quickly, greatly increasing printing efficiency and ensuring consistent, attractive page layout.
3. 1457–1460Western regions of the Holy Roman Empire · Rhine River basinArtisans trained in Mainz carried metal movable-type casting technology to cities such as Strasbourg and Cologne; printing shops were established successively, an initial European movable-type printing network took shape, and metal type gradually replaced manual copying as the mainstream method of book production.