Automating the Printing Process

The first printing press in the West was developed by the German printer Johannes Gutenberg in 1440; four decades before Leonardo's design. Leonardo attempted to automate the machine so one man could operate it. He had a personal interest--he wanted to print his own drawings. However, the first practical applications of his improvements didn't appear until the early 17th century. It was then, long after his death, that some of Leonardo's work was finally printed.