Printing technique, Renaissance

The advent of print is widely acknowledged as one of the defining factors of the Renaissance. The printing process developed upon pre-existing techniques, such as the handpress already in use for block printing. Its fortune was largely supported by the dissemination of paper throughout Europe in lieu of parchment and other animal supports. Indeed, print usually developed in the proximity of papermaking centers. Moveable types were made of an alloy formed by lead, tin, and antimony that made them suitable for the mechanical process of printing. A printing shop included various roles within its walls: the pressmen, the compositor, and the master printer (though these may vary depending on the size of the workshop). The production of a book as a finished commodity relied on a number of different trades, depending on the presence and typology of illustrations, or the customization required by the reader