A historical question: is there any information yet in canon about the invention of the printing press -- when and where it was invented, who invented it, or how the technology spread across Golarion?
I'm aware that page 257 of the Inner Sea World Guide has a few paragraphs that confirm its existence in a few nations, and Towns of the Inner Sea mentions a rather...unique printing press in the Chelish town of Pezzack, but does anything exist elsewhere that mention its origins?
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While I have no concrete date of origin I'm going to venture that they came about before 4667 AR. I'm basing this on Galt's revolution in that year being spurred on by mass-distributed broadsheets that 'spread quickly across the land', which seem like they'd require some sort of printing press or other fast-production method to be effective.
It is likely to have been accepted in Cheliax no later than 4638 AR; the Order of the Rack would likely have found it impossible to mass-produce a new version of the national history every three months without it. In fact, according to The Bastards of Erebus, Taranik House had a woodblock printing press prior to its burning in 4577 AR. However, the technology could have arrived significantly earlier, perhaps playing a part in swaying Andoran and Devil's Perch to the cause of newly-independent Cheliax during the Even-Tongued Conquest of the 4080s.
For that matter, with a little help from Titivilus -- infernal duke of rhetoric and propaganda, based on the real-world patron fiend of scribes and printers -- the printing press could have arrived at just about any time in Golarion's history. Spreading the Laws of Man throughout Rahadoum betweein 2555-2560 (was a deimavigga whispering in the ears of Azir's philosophers?), propagating Irori's teachings through Tian Xia, perhaps even featuring in the war between Nex and Geb. True, the later dates seem more likely, but the influence of outsiders cannot be underestimated.
If there's other canon information that confirms or disconfirms any of these speculations, however, that would be invaluable as I begin writing homebrew histories to fill these gaps in the timeline.
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There's nothing in canon that suggests the printing press even exists outside of that one off mention. Books are probably made they way they were before Gutenberg.... individually by hand. That was one of the major occupations of monasteries back then. It also means that only the well to do have access to any significant number.
Printed books are actually brought up a few times in the Pathfinder Tales, and several other places as well. People have asked James Jacobs about it and he's never given any indications they aren't a relatively common thing in many areas.
In short, they very much exist as a relatively normal part of life in Golarion, and you're factually wrong.
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I actually have asked Jacobs this question about the Pathfinder Chronicles. He has replied that the volumes are rather expensive. Given that in the sourcebooks they average a couple of hundred gold each pretty much puts them out of reach of the average income levels. The average citizen does not have the spare change the average adventurer does.
Those are specific books, not books as a whole. There's quite a bit of difference between those two things.
I actually have asked Jacobs this question about the Pathfinder Chronicles. He has replied that the volumes are rather expensive. Given that in the sourcebooks they average a couple of hundred gold each pretty much puts them out of reach of the average income levels. The average citizen does not have the spare change the average adventurer does.Those are specific books, not books as a whole. There's quite a bit of difference between those two things.
Actually these two positions are not mutually exclusive. Just because books are printed does not mean that they cannot also be expensive and only for the wealthy.
There is a vast difference between a broadsheet or pamphlet and an actual book. Early printed books were still quite rare and closer to works of art. Add to that the fact that literacy was very limited, generally only the wealthy could read. You get books are expensive and only for the wealthy but also printed.
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Link to Pathfinder Tales story featuring a printing press.
The main character recognizes one on sight...implying they aren't even that uncommon in certain circles.
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"There's nothing in canon that suggests the printing press even exists outside of that one off mention. Books are probably made they way they were before Gutenberg.... individually by hand. That was one of the major occupations of monasteries back then. It also means that only the well to do have access to any significant number."
Actually due to the high literacy rate everyone with 3 int is literate even commoners indicate the printing press would have had to have been invented about 80 years before 4667 AR. In order for broadsheets in Galt's revolution to be effective the literacy rate would need to be high.
The real word example of the first time the printing press has an effect on politics is the protestant reformation. The reformation started in 1517, and the printing press was invented in about 1440 hence it took about 80 years for literacy rates to rise to the point that the printed word could topple persons in power.
There's a pretty comprehensive article on the Printing Press on PathfinderWiki, FYI. As far as we've been able to research, no definitive date has been chosen for the invention of the printing press.