I have approximately 1 years experience working on a 6 Color Heidelberg Printing Press. We print anything from 1 page brochures to 6 color front and backs with additional passes for varnishes. Below is the definition of the printing press and a little history.
A printing press is a device for evenly printing ink onto a print medium (substrate) such as paper or cloth. The device applies pressure to a print medium that rests on an inked surface made of movable type, thereby transferring the ink. Typically used for texts, the invention and spread of the printing press are widely regarded as among the most influential events in the second millennium[1] revolutionizing the way people conceive and describe the world they live in, and ushering in the period of modernity.
Printing Press. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved January 2, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_press