It's hard to imagine a time when books and printed materials were too rare and expensive for most people to afford, but in Europe before the 15th century, many were unable to purchase books. Books and manuscripts were created by hand, which was a slow and labor-intensive process. This meant that only the wealthy could afford them. Unfortunately, ideas that could be communicated through print were limited. However, this all changed when a goldsmith and metal-worker named Johannes Gutenberg created the printing press. Gutenberg experimented with various printing techniques using movable metal type. He eventually went on to create a machine that was similar to the paper and linen presses already being used by paper-makers and weavers, only this machine pressed ink-covered metal letters onto paper. He even made his own ink using a combination of linseed oil and soot. Because of Gutenberg's clever invention, books were now more affordable and available to more people. Ideas and stories that would never have been written otherwise could now be spread far and wide. How does the structure of this article help the reader to understand more about the printing press? The structure helps the reader to understand that many did not have access to books, and the creation of the printing press helped to change this. The structure helps the reader understand that the development of the printing press was a long and tedious process. The structure helps the reader to understand the effects that the printing press had on the wealthy's access to books and information. The structure helps the reader understand the similarities and differences be tween the printing press and the paper press