Print Culture and the Modern World

Question 1

Which was the earliest kind of print technology and where was it developed?

Accepted Answer

The earliest kind of print technology was hand printing, developed in China, Japan and Korea; it was a system of woodblock printing.

Question 2

What was the significance of Buddhist missionaries in print?

Accepted Answer

Buddhist missionaries from China introduced hand-printing technology into Japan around AD 768-770; the oldest Japanese printed book, the Buddhist Diamond Sutra, dates from AD 868.

Question 3

Who invented the first printing press and where?

Accepted Answer

Johann Gutenberg developed the first known printing press in Mainz, Germany, around the 1440s. The first book he printed was the Bible (about 180 copies were printed).

Question 4

What was the first book printed by Gutenberg?

Accepted Answer

The Bible was the first book printed by Gutenberg; about 180 copies were printed, taking three years to produce.

Question 5

What is meant by the 'print revolution'?

Accepted Answer

The shift from hand printing to mechanical printing, which transformed the lives of people by changing their relationship to information, knowledge, institutions and authorities.

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