Johannes Gutenberg (1398 – 1468) was a German goldsmith and publisher 
who introduced printing to Europe. His introduction of mechanical movable 
type printing to Europe started the Printing Revolution and is widely 
regarded as the most important event of the modern period. It played a key 
role in the scientific revolution and laid the basis for the modern knowledgebased economy and the spread of learning to the masses. Gutenberg many 
contributions to printing are: the invention of a process for mass-producing 
movable type, the use of oil-based ink for printing books, adjustable 
moulds, and the use of a wooden printing press. His truly epochal invention 
was the combination of these elements into a practical system that allowedJohannes Gutenberg (1398 – 1468) was a German goldsmith and publisher 
who introduced printing to Europe. His introduction of mechanical movable 
type printing to Europe started the Printing Revolution and is widely 
regarded as the most important event of the modern period. It played a key 
role in the scientific revolution and laid the basis for the modern knowledgebased economy and the spread of learning to the masses. Gutenberg many 
contributions to printing are: the invention of a process for mass-producing 
movable type, the use of oil-based ink for printing books, adjustable 
moulds, and the use of a wooden printing press. His truly epochal invention 
was the combination of these elements into a practical system that allowedthe mass production of printed books and was economically viable for 
printers and readers alike. In Renaissance Europe, the arrival of mechanical 
movable type printing introduced the era of mass communication which 
permanently altered the structure of society. The relatively unrestricted 
circulation of information—including revolutionary ideas—transcended 
borders and captured the masses in the Reformation. The sharp increase in 
literacy broke the monopoly of the literate elite on education and learning 
and bolstered the emerging middle class