QUIZ: How Well Do You Know Your Print History? 🖨️

[PK Project Manager]

From Gutenberg to modern 3D printing, the history of printing is packed with fascinating milestones, clever inventions, and game-changing ideas. But how much do you really know about the machines and minds that shaped the way we print today?

Take this quiz and test your knowledge of print history! Keep track of your answers, and don’t peek at the spoilers until you’ve finished.

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Question 1:​

Who invented the first movable-type printing press in Europe?
A) Benjamin Franklin
B) Johannes Gutenberg
C) Leonardo da Vinci
D) Alan Turing

Spoiler

Answer: B) Johannes Gutenberg

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Question 2:​

The world’s first printed book, The Diamond Sutra (868 AD), was printed in which country?
A) China
B) India
C) Japan
D) Egypt

Spoiler

Answer: A) China

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Question 3:​

What year is generally considered the start of mass printing in Europe, thanks to Gutenberg’s press?
A) 1200
B) 1450
C) 1600
D) 1750

Spoiler

Answer: B) 1450

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Question 4:​

What invention made newspapers and mass communication possible on a larger scale in the 19th century?
A) The steam-powered press
B) The dot matrix printer
C) The typewriter
D) The telegraph

Spoiler

Answer: A) The steam-powered press

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Question 5:​

Which famous American statesman was also a printer by trade?
A) Thomas Jefferson
B) Benjamin Franklin
C) George Washington
D) John Adams

Spoiler

Answer: B) Benjamin Franklin

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Question 6:​

Offset printing, still widely used today, was first developed in which century?
A) 15th century
B) 18th century
C) 19th century
D) 20th century

Spoiler

Answer: C) 19th century

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Question 7:​

What type of printer was one of the first to be used with personal computers in the 1970s and 80s?
A) Laser printer
B) Inkjet printer
C) Dot matrix printer
D) Thermal printer

Spoiler

Answer: C) Dot matrix printer

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Question 8:​

When was the first commercial laser printer introduced by IBM?
A) 1965
B) 1976
C) 1985
D) 1992

Spoiler

Answer: B) 1976

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Question 9:​

Who is often credited as the “Father of 3D Printing”?
A) Steve Wozniak
B) Chuck Hull
C) Jeff Bezos
D) Nikola Tesla

Spoiler

Answer: B) Chuck Hull

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Question 10:​

Which ancient civilization used carved wooden blocks for printing long before movable type?
A) The Egyptians
B) The Chinese
C) The Greeks
D) The Romans

Spoiler

Answer: B) The Chinese

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Wrap-Up​

So, how did you do?

• 0–3 correct: You’re a print apprentice—lots to learn, but you’re on your way!
• 4–6 correct: You’re a journeyman—you’ve got a good grasp of the printing world.
• 7–9 correct: You’re a master printer—history is clearly your strong suit!
• 10/10 correct: You’re a true print historian—give yourself a standing ovation (or at least a clean print bed ).

Share your score in the comments below and see how you stack up against other members!

 

[pharmacist]

I've got 10/10....but I have to made a dedicated guess at question 8
But actually the last question there is something interestign about the invention of printing with movable type are in fact the Chinese, maybe hundreds of years before Gutenberg, but since the Chinese character system force you to make at least a few thousands of individual blocks, making it pratical impossible to use and block carving was way faster and more practical than looking up all those individual character block in a huge chamber in thousands of separate boxes with the same character. So the idea was there and they tried it, but it was just so impratical that they stop using that idea. Not much later the Koreans tried the same idea (before the invention of Hangeul and up to the end of the 19th century Korea still used Chinese characters for official writing (Hanja)) with molten metal for creating those individual characters.