Introduction

The printing revolution of the 16th century allowed for information to be disseminated faster and farther than ever before. The larger and growing volume of books produced meant that the prices of books became more affordable as the century progressed. Thus, a growing reading public could potentially purchase a book for personal since the cost of a printed book was more affordable than during the incunabulum period, or than a book in manuscript format. Historical evidence tells us that the average price of a book by the end of the 16th century in Europe was frequently less than an average day's wages.

The Protestant Reformation occurred concurrently with the rise of print culture within Europe. Although there had been earlier church reform movements throughout the continent, it was the printing press that allowed for broader and swifter distribution of religious materials in the vernacular, allowing individuals to read the Bible themselves for the first time. This period of religious strife influenced the texts that were printed, and which ones were legal to possess. 

However, it was not solely religious literature that came off the presses of Europe. Works of antiquity were also widely popular as Humanist education, which emphasized Classical models of education, spread through Europe. Books on the topics of law and education were popular too as printers aimed to produce literature for the instruction and education of readers.