In 1428 he worked cutting and polishing Gemstones. He learned how to make designs in metal and began to devise a machine to print words mechanically to print books. He worked his young life in Mainz (Lehmann-Haupt 8).

Nothing was known of Gutenberg's appearance. Most impressions come from an engraving made in 1584, yet some do not believe this was the "real McCoy". (Schroerer 19).

Again, not much else is known of his younger years.