So when, in the mid-15th century, Gutenberg invented the printing press, it became so much more than a machine. Ideas could be replicated by the thousands, making it the first great equaliser of ...

He invented a cast-iron press with compound levers which could withstand the pressures of repeated prints. His first design, with straight sides, still cracked during a run, but his second design ...

The Gutenberg printing press was invented in 1440 in Germany. Ten years later, the printing machine was ready for commercial use. Among the first items printed by Gutenberg were calendars and ...