This history of printing follows a remarkable machine as it grows from Gutenberg's wooden screw press into the industrial engines that powered modern newspapers. It shows how small, practical improvements—from William Jensen Blaew's refinements to the iron leverage of the Stanhope press, the Columbian, and the Washington hand press—steadily increased strength, durability, and precision. The account then opens the workshop of the press itself, explaining the bed, platen, tympan, frisket, in...

About the year 1450, Gutenberg was engaged in printing his first book from movable types. No method of taking the impressions simpler than that employed by him can be imagined, unless it be with a “buffer,” or by means of a brush rubbed over the paper laid upon the “form” of type, after the manner of the Chinese in printing from engraved blocks. His printing press consisted of two upright timbers, with cross pieces of wood to stay them together at the top and bottom. There were also interm...