In the early 1450s cultural change in Europe fueled a growing
need for the rapid and cheap production of written documents.
Before this time, scribal monks hand-copied sacred texts
for centuries. But for the secular world began to develop and (1) ______
distribute new forms of sacred texts, the scribes could not keep up
the demand. Johannes Gutenberg, a goldsmith and businessman (2) ______
from southern Germany, foresees the profit-making potential for a (3) ______
printing press that used movable metal type, and borrowed money
to develop that we know now as the modern printing press. He (4) ______
developed his press by combing features of existed technologies: (5) ______
textile, papermaking and wine presses.
Perhaps his most significant innovation, therefore, was the (6) ______
efficient molding and casting of movable metal type. Gutenberg
designed a Latin print Bible which became his most famous
work. Despite of the dramatic success of his printing press, (7) ______
Gutenberg managed to default on a loan and lost his whole printing
establishment. His techniques were made publicly and his creditor (8) ______
won the rights to the proceeds from the Gutenberg Bibles.
In 1476, William Caxton set up England’s first printing
press. Caxton had been a prolific translator and found the printing
press to be a marvelousway to expand his mission of promoting
unpopular literature, the innovation of the printing press (9) ______
ultimately influenced art, literature, philosophy and politics. Today,
print is thought of as one of the markers of key historical shifts in
communication, creating a social and intellectual transform. (10) ______