What impact did the invention of movable type have on scribes and book production?

The invention of movable type by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century revolutionized the process of book production. This innovation enabled the mass production of printed materials, significantly reducing the time and labor involved in creating books. As a result, the role of scribes, who meticulously copied texts by hand, began to diminish. Prior to movable type, books were rare and typically crafted individually by skilled scribes. After its introduction, the printing press allowed for the quick reproduction of texts, making books more widely available and affordable.

This shift fundamentally changed the landscape of literature and literacy, as texts could now be produced in larger quantities and distributed broadly. The need for scribes to handwrite entire books decreased sharply, leading to a reduction in their prominence in the field of book production. While some scribes transitioned to roles related to the new technology—such as overseeing quality or producing illuminated letters—their traditional functions began to decline in the face of this transformative innovation.