Plate from 18th century encyclopedia showing a printing press a device for evenly printing ink on to a print medium such as paper or cloth. The device applies pressure to a print medium that rests on an inked surface made of movable type, thereby transferring the ink. Typically used for texts, the invention and spread of the printing press are widely regarded as among the most influential events in the second millennium revolutionizing the way people conceive and describe the world they live in, and ushering in the period of modernity. The model shown is typical of those made in Germany during the 18th and early 19th centuries. .