Definition

Noun: A printing press is a mechanical device that applies pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink to the medium and creating multiple copies of text and images.

Usage

The term "printing press" refers specifically to the machine itself. It is typically used to discuss historical invention, industrial production, or the technology of mass communication. - It is often preceded by articles like "a," "the," or possessive pronouns like "our," "their." - It can be modified by adjectives describing its type, age, or capability (e.g., an old printing press, a high-speed printing press).

Examples

• The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg revolutionized the spread of information.
• They have a small printing press in the basement for making wedding invitations.
• The newspaper was produced on a massive industrial printing press.

Advanced Usage

• "to operate/run a printing press": To be in charge of or work with the machine.
  • He learned how to operate a printing press during his apprenticeship.
• "off the printing press": Freshly printed; just produced.
  • The first copies of the novel are hot off the printing press.

Variants and Related Words

• Press (noun): A common shortened form for "printing press" in certain contexts, especially within the publishing industry (e.g., ).
• Printer (noun): A more modern device for printing, often digital (e.g., a laser printer). This is a related but distinct technology.
• Printing (noun): The general process or business of producing printed material.

Synonyms

• Printing machine: A more generic, descriptive synonym.
• Press: As noted above, a common shorthand.

Related Phrases

• "The power of the press": An idiom referring to the influential role of newspapers and media in society, which derives from the historical importance of the printing press.
  • As a journalist, she believes in the power of the press to hold authorities accountable.

Noun

1. a machine used for printing