The printing press was first invented in 1440 AD by Johannes Gutenberg. It’s not so relevant to our day to day lives today, but it’s a technology that forever changed the path of human history. Now you can whip one up yourself using this teeny design from the [3DPrintingEnthusiast]!
Don’t expect to be making broadsheets with this thing—it’s a strictly table-top sized unit made on a 3D printer. Still, it does the job! The bed, frame, paper holder, and clamps are all 3D-printed. However, you will need some minor additional supplies to complete the carriage and inkballs.
As for your printing plates, you could go out and source some ancient lead type—or you could just 3D print some instead. The latter is probably easier if you’re living in 2024 like yours truly. Who knows, though. 2028 could be a banner year where printing presses roar back to prominence. Try not to think about the global scale disasters that would make that a reality.
In any case, there’s got to be some kind of irony about 3D-printing a printing press on a 3D printer? Perhaps, perhaps not. Debate it below!
Or put a quill pen in a 3D printer, and intersperse the gcode with inkwell dipping. To print all the new constitutions and declarations of independence coming our way.
You just brought to mind the computer in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. When the chancellor of the unseen university asks it a question, it writes the answer on a parchment with a quill pen, advancing the parchment with a roller at the end of each line, like a sort of steampunk line printer. That’d be a pretty cool project in itself. Beyond my current expertise but I’m sure someone could do it.
That is almost exactly how my father’s first architectural plotter worked. It even had the same pens he used by hand.
No, just no.
Cant exactly point out why I feel that way (neither why so strong) but seeing a reproduction of such an historical device wholly 3d printed in glittery/glossy plastic…
I mean that’s worse than a children’s toy at Toys’r’us (would look).
It just can’t do the original justice looking like that with none of the original materials.
Kinda like if rebuilds of historical computers like
– Zuse’s Z3 would use transistors shaped as relays and simulating their sound instead of just using real relays (not necessarily mechanically the same as the originals but at least relays).
– ENIAC would use LEDs + transistors in glass bulbs instead of real tubes. Maybe add in a heater element just to “simulate” that to.
Dunno.
But I have to admit that I’m one of those who often feels that 3d printers (the people using them, not the devices) see the printer as a hammer and every problem/task/project as a nail…
A Gutenberg printing press homage by Clickspring maybe – or one of the other good cnc, metalworking, woodworking “channels” – but 3d printed? Blasphemy! :-/
I was also a bit disappointed to see this fully 3D printed… but it’s worth noting the person who actually did this project:
“I’m a 7th Grade Student at the Maria von Linden Gymnasium”
Ah, okay that changes it a bit – especially if said student build the 3d model by themself in FreeCAD, OpenSCAD or the like (but not any closed source software).
>I mean that’s worse than a children’s toy at Toys’r’us (would look).
That’s just the aesthetics of FDM printing for you. It’s always going to look a bit cheap.
You have the same reaction as how people reacted to furniture made out of bent and glued plywood in the 1930’s. Some people found it futuristic and cool, other people just saw it as cheap mass production disguised as design style. It’s the same how IKEA furniture has a particular boxy angular look because it’s basically cardboard covered in vinyl and you can’t do complex shapes with that. People who agree with the looks don’t see the limitations because they’re irrelevant – people who don’t are instantly irritated by the fact that this method of production can’t really do any better.
> That’s just the aesthetics of FDM printing for you. It’s always going to look a bit cheap.
Hmm yeah but in this case to me the color alone plays a bigger role I think. If the main frame was sth. like blue, brown, black or grey and not glistening gold/yellow.
> You have the same reaction as how people reacted to furniture made out of bent and glued …
Heh, quite possible… :-)
“The printing press was first invented in 1440 AD by Johannes Gutenberg”.
Ehm, no. Nein, ganz und gar nicht.
Gutenberg (re-)invented printing with moving letters. Printing with carved wood or other materials had long been kind of standard but quite inefficient. The cultural importance and historic relevance derives from the increased efficiency.
My suggestion for the next project iteration:
3Dprint hundrets of moving letters and make it a _real_ Gutenberg.
And blame your teacher for that misleading information about the Renaissance (School in Calw, isn’t it?).
And read Discworld, “The Truth”, of course.
Um, actually, you can always count on HaD commenters!
Thanks for bringing up that it was movable type.
As a person who actually makes a living doing letterpress today (not with a Gutenberg press of course because it’s not the most efficient device these days) I think this is awesome. And seeing that a 7th grader is building this replica using 3D printing; it really is inspiring and honestly kind of exciting to see young people even taking notice of this niche art form. Print truly is not dead.
Jeez. You guys. Just an absurd amount of anger over a really complex 3d print job by someone probably 13 or 14. This is someone who *didnt* say “huh, old junk who cares?” But rather said “neat, I wonder if I can recreate with modern tools?”
And it doesn’t look like someone did it just to keep feeding the YouTube channel they earn their living from. They’re in school.
Cut that kid some slack. He’s got plenty of time to become bitter and hyper critical later.
It’s two different matters. Nobody’s criticizing a child’s project for being made out of the modern equivalent of cardboard and paper glue.
The criticism is rather like… do you remember/know of MOD tracker music in the 90’s? The enthusiasts were so proud of that they could produce music that sounded almost like the real thing made on real samplers and synths – not just bleep bloop chip stuff – while the rest of the people weren’t interested in the technical accomplishments of almost getting it right, because at the end of the day most of tracker music just sounded like crap. 3D printing is at that stage of development right now, where you can make stuff that is 80% of the way there for most points and purposes, so the people who are really into it are willing to ignore its failings while the people who don’t care just don’t see the point, or even find it annoying.
Elegant analogy.
So if he going to print a teeny bible now?
Just the thing to torture Smurfs
No comments about an additively manufactured linotype machine?