The Gutenberg (Mazarin) Bible is considered to be the first important work printed by Gutenberg and the earliest book printed from movable types. The text of the Bible is Latin. The type is a Gothic style related to Old English and similar to the best handwriting of the time. The 2-volume bible with a total of 1,282 pages was created with the help of a staff of 20. For this bible, Gutenberg cast 290 different shapes. The colorful initials and signs were added later by an illuminator and a columnist. The bible was printed in 180 copies. It is assumed that 150 of these copies were printed on paper, while the remaining 30 - on exquisite parchment. Today, 48 copies remain in existence.

With this bible, that remains until today one of the most beautifully printed books of the world, Gutenberg proved that the "nova forma scribendi" was esthetically equal to hand-writings that were at their height at that time.
Colored initials and other illuminations were hand drawn. The pages of the book are folio, each page is in two columns, and, with few exceptions, each column has 42 lines. It is called also the Mazarin Bible because the first copy to recapture attention was in the library of Cardinal Mazarin, in Paris. Known also as the Gutenberg Bible and the 42-line Bible.