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Bibliography and Modern Book Production Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 April 2025
“With twenty-six soldiers of lead I will conquer the world”.
Printing Chronology
Printing developed early in China; from stone rubbings, through seals and wood-blocks (Diamond Sutra 868 A.D.) till ±1050, when printing from movable, earthenware type was practised by Pi-Sheng.
±1400 Movable metal types cast from a mould used in Korea.
1423 The St Christopher block-print (now in the John Rylands Library, Manchester)
±1440 Gutenberg invents type-founding.
1454 The first dated publication (an Indulgence, printed by Gutenberg)
1457 The first time a book carries the name of the printer (Peter Schoeffer's Psalter)
1461 The first illustrated printed book, published by Albert Pfister of Bamberg (common about 1470)
1463 The first book with a title-page (a bull of Pius II, printed by Fuat and Schoeffer at Mainz)
1465 Printing introduced into Italy.
1470 Printing introduced into France.
– The first book with printed leaf-numbers, and head-lines, and a second title-page published by Arnold Ther Hoernen of Cologne.
1472 The first book with printed signatures, by Johann Koelhoff of Cologne.
1474 Caxton prints in Brughes.
1476 - Introduces sprinting into England.
– First complete title-page (Ratdolt's Calendarium).
1501 Aldine italic.
1705 Experiments with stereotype.
1720 Caslon cuts his first fount, in London.
1727 William Ged improves the stereotype process, and prints his Sallust (1739) from plates.
1798–1800 Charles, 3rd Earl Stanhope, perfects the iron press.
1812 Bensley invents the cylinder press.
1814 Koenig's cylinder, flat-bed printing machine driven by steam operates in The Times printing office. His is the first automatically inked press. Patented 1811.
1834 David Bruce invents the first commercially successful type-casting machine.
1837–9 Electrotype perfected.
1846 Hoe invents the Rotary press; constructed by Applegarth.
1884–6 L.B. Benton invents and perfects the punch-cutting machine.
1886–90 Linotype comes into use. (Invented 1876–86 by Otto Mergenthaler)
1887–99 Monotype machine perfected and brought on the market.
1946 Photographic type-composing perfected. Principle patented as early as 1921.
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