Final answer:
Technological developments such as Chinese movable type printing and European innovations in metallurgy and press mechanism design were precursor technologies leading to Gutenberg's printing press, which combined these elements to revolutionize book production in Europe.
Step-by-step explanation:
The developments in technology that paved the way for Gutenberg's printing press began with the printing methods invented in China. Around 1000 CE, the Chinese artisan Bi Sheng created movable type blocks from baked clay, each block inscribed with a character. His printing process involved arranging these blocks on a frame, which could then make prints when pressed against a plate.
In Europe, Gutenberg, a silversmith and inventor from Mainz, Germany, utilized existing technologies in a novel combination. He began printing with individually cast metal letters around 1426, using a type metal alloy. Gutenberg's invention also integrated a mechanism similar to traditional wine or apple presses, enabling the application of pressure for printing.
By 1455, Gutenberg's printing press had revolutionized book production, as evidenced by the printing of about 180 identical copies of the Bible, marking the start of the printing revolution in Europe.