Blog

Paper vs Printing Press

Compare Paper (China) and Printing Press (China) side by side — origin, maker, price, materials and what the difference actually means.

True Origins. Trusted Sources.

The Machine That Democratized the Human Mind.

Maker Cai Lun, Han Dynasty court official Bi Sheng (China); Johannes Gutenberg (Germany)
Region China China (movable type); Mainz, Germany (mechanical press)
Made since Around 105 AD Movable type printing in China (11th century); mechanical press in Europe (1440)
Source China, USA lead modern paper production Modern printing technology is global

Field	Paper	Printing Press
Country	China	China
Type	INVENTIONS & TECHNOLOGY	INVENTIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Maker	Cai Lun, Han Dynasty court official	Bi Sheng (China); Johannes Gutenberg (Germany)
Region	China	China (movable type); Mainz, Germany (mechanical press)
Made since	Around 105 AD	Movable type printing in China (11th century); mechanical press in Europe (1440)
Verified record	No	No
Source	China, USA lead modern paper production	Modern printing technology is global

Cai Lun, an official in the Chinese imperial court, is widely credited with standardizing an affordable papermaking process using plant

Papermaking remained largely confined to China and the Islamic world for centuries before reaching Europe around the 12th century.

China developed movable type centuries before Europe, but it was Johannes Gutenberg’s mechanical printing press in Germany that triggered a

The Gutenberg Bible is considered one of the first major books printed using the mechanical press.