The invention that made producing books faster and cheaper is called the printing press. It was invented by Johann Gutenberg in the 15th century and facilitated the spread of knowledge and literacy in Europe during the Renaissance period. Books were written by hand before the invention of the printing press, and were expensive due to the amount of time and effort required to produce them. The printing press revolutionized this process as it allowed for mass production of books through the use of movable type printing.