In terms of the impact of printing on western civilisation, the introduction of printing had a great influence on the religious reformation in Europe during the 16th century. The Protestant movement intended to rectify the problem of the abuse of church authority, especially the selling of indulgences for making a profit by printing them intensely. Meanwhile, the printing also contributed to the movement. As the concept of the religious reformation was massively printed into leaflets and booklets, it facilitated the propaganda of the movement. The printing press contributed to the Gospel propagation in Europe as well. Thus, new learning can be diffused while an old notion can be weakened.

Besides, monarchs of various countries advocated the unification of national languages to enhance national awareness, thereby establishing standardization of printing through vernacular. Therefore, printing promoted the advancement of national literature and cultures. Besides, the arrival of printed books increased literacy and the chance of education, which provided opportunities for social mobility.

In terms of the impact of printing on Chinese scholarship and society, the power of printing inspired the revival of Confucianism in ancient China. In the 10th century, the prime minister of the later Tang dynasty, Feng Tao advocated the government to print and publish the Nine Classics and the minister of Shu state, Wu Chao-I, also dedicated to printing the Confucian classics privately. It reflects that the revival of Confucianism depends on printing. Under the influence on the revival of Confucianism, there were plenty of academic institutions established to help candidates to prepare for the civil service examinations that were based entirely on Confucianism. In this situation, printed Confucian classics played a key role in the learning process. Besides, printed books were cheaper than manuscripts, it was easier for people to afford the printed copies. Undoubtedly, the development of printing led to an increase in the number of candidates, thereby facilitating the expansion of civil service examination, especially in the Song dynasty. This reflects that printing provided learning opportunities for people from different social classes so as to stimulate social mobility.