the printing press seems extremely simple, so why did it take so long to invent?

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I often find myself wondering why the printing press was such a massive invention. Of course, it revolutionized the ability to spread information and document history, but the machine itself seems very simple; apply pressure to a screw that then pushes paper into the type form.

That leaves me with the thought that I am missing something big. I understand that my thoughts of it being simple are swayed by the fact the we live in a post-printing press world, but I choose the believe I’m smarter than all of humanity before me. /s

So that leaves me with the question, how did it take so long for this to be invented? Are we stupid?

In: Engineering

6 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

The PRESS itself is nothing innovative. You can see it from the oil press.

>The screw press was first invented and used by the [Romans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rome) in the first century AD. It was used primarily in [wine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine) and [olive oil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oil) production. The screw press was also used in [Gutenberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Gutenberg)’s [printing press](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_press) in the mid-15th century

What was innovative, when first come to China and then Europe, is the [moveable type](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movable_type)

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