1430 in Holland to stamp copper plates. Lead poured on to copper to make printing face. Hard to maintain uniformity. 1450 used dies as masters to cast copies of letters. Basically modern composition.
Type metal is one of the oldest unchanged industrial materials.
By 1480, there were printing presses in 110 towns. Ten million books in print by 1500. First cheap mass-market books. Effects of printing Vast increase in literacy. Rapid dissemination of ideas.