movable type
Reusable printing blocks
Movable type is a printing system using individual letters or characters that can be rearranged and reused.
Each piece of type bears a single raised character; compositors arrange them into pages, ink them, and press paper against them.
Invented in China and perfected in Europe by Gutenberg, movable type made books far cheaper to produce than hand-copying, revolutionizing the spread of knowledge.
- letterpressPrinting from raised surfaces
- typesettingArranging text for print
- hot metalHeated metallic material
- typefaceLettering style design
- monotypeNon-reproducible printed artwork
incunabula · printing press · printing revolution · sorts · typography · linotype · punch · composing stick · Gutenberg press · early modern · matrix · font · Johannes Gutenberg · leading · press · galley · broadsheet · paper
- Media Historyprinting press, newspaper, telegraph, radio, television
- printingprinting press, letterpress, printing, lithographers, offset printing
- inventionsprinting press, steam engine, lightbulb, light bulb, microscope
- writing historyalphabet, cuneiform, hieroglyphics, hieroglyphs, scripts
- Asian inventionsgunpowder, paper money, compass, silk production, printing
- book collectingbibliophiles, first editions, rare books, first edition, antiquarian
movable typewoodblock printing
Carved relief stamping technique
block printing · lithography · engraving · electrotype · phototypesetting
movable typemanuscript
Original text before publication
hand copying · handwriting · calligraphy · desktop publishing · digital printing
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