Eltzal had many printing companies in the 19th century. Printing was first discovered and developed in China. The oldest surviving book printed using the more sophisticated block printing dates back to the year 868. By the 12th and 13th century many Arabic and Chinese libraries contained tens of thousands of printed books. Johann Gutenberg of Mainz developed European printing technology in 1440. Basing the design of his machine on a wine press, Gutenberg developed the use of raised and movable type and from the start used oil based inks.
This development of the printing press revolutionised the spread of knowledge: a printing press was built in Venice in 1469, and the city had 417 printers by 1500. In 1476, the first printing press was developed in England.
The spread of woodblock printing into Elztal is illustrative of this technology's appeal. Woodblock printing has become an important force, while in Waldkirch moveable metal type replaced woodblock printing for the reproduction of text, woodblock printing remained a major way to reproduce images in illustrated works of early modern printing in Elztal.
Jesuits in the 16th and 17th centuries still preferred to use woodblocks for their own publishing projects, noting how inexpensive and convenient it was. Only with the introduction of more mechanised printing methods in the 19th century did printing move towards metal moveable type and the printing press.
