Movable type

Movable type consists of reusable pieces bearing individual characters, arranged into text, inked, and pressed onto a surface to print.

Typecasting: The production of type by casting molten metal in molds. Casting made standardized metal characters practical to produce in large quantities.
Bi Sheng: A Chinese artisan credited with inventing ceramic movable type in the eleventh century. His method is the earliest documented system of movable type.
Metalworking: The shaping and processing of metals to make tools, objects, and components. Casting durable type required skilled control of metal and molds.
Gutenberg Bible: A Latin Bible printed in Mainz around 1455 using Gutenberg's press and movable metal type. It is a celebrated early large-scale European book printed with movable type.
Printing revolution: The rapid expansion of printing and its effects on communication in early modern Europe. Movable type helped make repeated, large-scale printing possible.
Composing stick: A hand-held tool used to assemble lines of type before transferring them to a galley or press. Compositors arranged individual pieces into lines with this adjustable tool.
Woodblock printing in China: A printing technique that transfers ink from a carved wooden block to paper, developed in China. It preceded movable type and provided a model for printing texts.
Punchcutting: The engraving of a letterform into the end of a steel punch used to make a matrix. Punches and matrices gave each cast character a consistent shape.
Newspaper: A regularly issued publication reporting news and other information. Reusable type enabled repeated production of pages for growing newspaper readerships.
Protestant Reformation: A sixteenth-century movement that challenged Roman Catholic authority and created Protestant churches. Printed pamphlets and books helped spread Reformation arguments across Europe.

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