One important impact the printing press had on Europe was the democratization of knowledge. Prior to the invention of the printing press, books were hand-copied by scribes, making them expensive and rare. However, with the mass production of books made possible by the printing press, knowledge became more accessible to a wider range of people. This led to an increase in literacy rates, the spread of ideas, and the ability to disseminate information, ultimately contributing to the cultural, intellectual, and scientific advancements of the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods.
