Why did reusable letters change printing?

An invention with a longer history

Gutenberg combined metal type, ink and a press in fifteenth-century Europe. Printing and movable type already had histories in East Asia. His work belongs within that longer story, rather than marking the beginning of every form of printing.

Compose, print, reuse

1. Compose

   Arrange individual letters into the text.

2. Print

   Ink the type and transfer the impression to paper.

3. Reuse

   Separate the letters for a different page.

Reusable letters explain one part of the process. They alone do not explain every change in the price, circulation or readership of books.