Three Printing Presses
Wooden Press
Iron Hand Press
Platen Presses
Wooden Press
Gutenberg's wooden printing press was based on the screw or binding press used in other trades like winemaking and metalworking. Appearing in the early to mid 15th century, the printing press made it possible to obtain sharp letters and to print both sides of a sheet. The wooden press did have drawbacks, however, among them its limited strength and the difficulty of manipulating its parts. Improvements -- both minor and major -- to this basic model began almost immediately after its appearance.
Iron Hand Press
The development of the iron hand press in the early 19th century resulted in a press that was capable of much greater impressional strength. The first of these presses was the Stanhope press, designed by the Earl of Stanhope in 1800. Production surpassed that of the wooden presses and it became possible to print 100 -- and not long after, far more -- pages in an hour.
Platen Presses
The platen press was developed in the mid 19th century. Manufactured in varying sizes from floor models to table tops, there were two main types of platen press. The light jobbing platen, credited primarily to George P. Gordon, was used for small items such as business cards, envelopes, and circulars. The heavy or art platen was much larger and used for all kinds of work. In both types, printing was completed by the platen closing to meet the type bed, in a similar action to that of a hinge. Early presses were powered by foot-treadles, and steam power and then electric motors were eventually added for even greater speed.
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