Newspaper printing press in Kiel, Germany, middle 20th centyry

Linotype machines producing a newspaper, 1941

A book printing press in Kabul,Afghanistan (2002)

The printing press is a machine for printing. It makes many copies of identical pages. The printing press today is used to print books and newspapers. It had a great influence on society, especially western society. It was "one of the most potent agents... of western civilization in bringing together the scattered ideas of thinkers".