The Invention of Movable Type in Europe by Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468).
Mass-produced work, starting on February 23, 1455.
Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468)
Gutenberg's invention
The basic idea of Gutenberg´s invention was the splitting up of the text into individual components such as lower and upper case letters, punctuation marks, ligatures and abbreviations, based upon the tradition of medieval scribes. These individual components were cast in any quantity as type in reverse, then put together to form words, lines and pages. The prototype for each letter was the punch. A caracter was cut into the face of a steel block, resulting in a precise relief in reverse. Now the respective punch was struck into a rectangular block made of softer metal, probably copper, with a hammer-blow.
This matrix had to be worked over again and adjusted turning it into a rigth-angled cube with even sides. The rigth-reading picture had to have a uniform depth, therefore the surface was processed with a file. To facilitate the casting of a caracter, Gutenberg developed the hand casting instrument. Two sections enclose a rectangular casting void closed at one end by the matrix.
After casting the caracters in the hand casting instrument, the most important part of the invention, enabled quick casting of the requiered quantities of the different caracters needed. The casting metal was an alloy of lead, tin and further admixtures, that secured fast cooling and a sufficient durability under the high pressure of the press.
http://www.mainz.de/gutenberg/english/erfindun.htm
Gutenberg's invention spread quickly, and news and books began to travel across Europe much faster than before. It fed the growing Renaissance, and since it greatly facilitated scientific publishing, it was a major catalyst for the later scientific revolution. The ability to produce many copies of a new book, and the appearance of Greek and Latin works in printed form was a major factor in the Reformation. Literacy also increased dramatically as a result. Gutenberg's inventions are sometimes considered the turning point from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern Period.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Gutenberg