Movable Type

Movable Type, individual pieces of wood or metal, each carved on one side with the shape of a letter, number, or other character used in writing and constructed so that they can be arranged in any order, covered with ink, and used to print multiple copies of the text they spell out. Movable type was the key invention that led to the printing of books.

For information on:

• pioneering development in the western world, see Johannes Gutenberg; Book: Renaissance Books;Book Trade: The Modern Book Trade;Communication: Paper and Printing
• design and production of movable type, see Type
• arrangement by hand or machine for use in printing, see Typesetting
• use in letterpress printing, see Printing Techniques: Letterpress Printing