In 1629, three years after Vatican's 1626 decision to open a Theatine fathers mission in Georgia, Italian Father Stefano Paolini (Catholic) and Georgian Nicephoros Irbachi (Orthodox Christian) published the first Georgian-language printed book. This collaborative Catholic-Orthodox effort represented unusual religious cooperation in Georgian printing history. The book's publication marked introduction of printing technology to Georgian literature, transforming how Georgian texts could be produced and distributed. This mission represented Catholic Church's attempt to establish presence in Orthodox Georgia.

First Georgian printed book enabled mass production of Georgian religious texts, poetry, and educational materials, dramatically increasing literacy access. Printing technology transformed Georgian literary dissemination, allowing wider distribution of religious poetry, biblical translations, and secular works. This innovation preserved Georgian literary culture during periods of foreign domination and facilitated standardization of Georgian orthography, influencing later Georgian literary production.