One similarity that endures today is the acknowledgement that people have preferences with regard to how they consume a work. Werner states that some customers of books may have wanted their books bound, but others would be content to have them stab-stitched, which mirrors people’s tendency in modern times to choose to consume a work in varied forms including a bound book, an e-book, and even an audio book. Also, even though they were created in the 17^th century as a way for publishers to balance income and expenses, subscriptions have endured as a very popular means of consuming a work today.

            With regard to changes, mass production of works created many changes that transformed the printing process and endure to the present day. Hand-pressed books were overwhelmingly printed on paper but as Werner states, “some early books were printed on parchment” which is referred to as vellum. We no longer read on vellum because it could shrink or expand depending on the humidity, and was not convenient for mass production.

            Also with regard to mass production, the practice of the compositor being responsible for spelling and punctuation according to his custom no longer exists, and today when people read a work, the grammar and spelling is standardized according to the language. Mass production also led to paginated pages as opposed to foliated ones, because paper had to begin to be used more economically.

            Lastly, because any single book in the hand-press era couldn’t be sold until every copy of that book was printed, the life of a book would seem to be shortened, which is obviously different from today’s printing process where a work from the 19^th Century can be bought today and in essence has it’s life and legacy prolonged by continuously having its place within a culture constantly maintained and made relevant by virtue of it’s physical presence.