In the 15th century, Johannes Gutenberg, working in Mainz, Germany, developed a new type of ink specifically for his revolutionary printing press. Unlike the water-based inks used for manuscripts, Gutenberg's ink was oil-based and made from lampblack and varnish, which adhered well to metal type and created a durable, indelible print.

This oil-based ink was as crucial to the success of the printing press as the press itself. It enabled the mass production of books, including the Bible, which would make texts more widely available and cheaper than ever before. For poets, this meant their works could reach a far larger audience, leading to the rise of the poet as a public figure and fundamentally changing the economics of literary production. The standardization of texts also influenced poetic form.