How did the invention of the printing press revolutionize the spread of information in 15th-century Europe?

The invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440 marked a pivotal moment in history, dramatically altering the way information was disseminated across Europe and beyond. Before its advent, books were laboriously hand-copied, making them rare and expensive items accessible primarily to the clergy and aristocracy. The printing press democratized knowledge, enabling the relatively fast and wide distribution of literature and ideas, which in turn fueled the Reformation, the Renaissance, and eventually the Scientific Revolution. This question explores how this singular invention not only transformed literacy and education but also laid the groundwork for modern communication and the spread of revolutionary ideas.