Before Gutenberg (1394 – 1468), all books had to be copied 1 hand. The so-called ‘manuscripts’ of medieval times were laboriously hand-written, usually by monks who devoted years 2 the work. Earlier attempts had been made to produce printing ‘blocks’. The designs on playing cards 3 example were carved from wooden blocks which were inked and then printed onto cards. There are even examples of whole pages in books being hand-carved and printed. Gutenberg, however, came up with the idea of printing using, not whole page blocks, but letter blocks. 4 he was a goldsmith 5 trade, he knew how to mould metal into whatever shape was needed. He made thousands of tiny blocks of ‘type’, 6 with a letter raised on it, which could be lined up and clamped into position in a ‘forme’ (page block). The type could be inked, paper laid on top, and the whole thing compressed by turning a handle. When released, the paper had the page printed on it. Years of work went into this invention. Gutenberg 7 to make the letters, develop an ink which would cling to metal (most didn’t), build the forme, and above 8 find the money to do all this while not working as a goldsmith.