What type of printing press did Leonardo da Vinci design with a screw mechanism?

Leonardo da Vinci designed a screw press for printing with controlled downward pressure.

His mechanical studies included a press operated by a screw, a principle already associated with early European printing but refined in Leonardo's engineering sketches. Turning the screw would move a platen or pressing surface downward onto the material beneath it. Such control could help apply pressure evenly and repeatedly.

Leonardo lived during the expansion of movable-type printing in Europe, which began with Johannes Gutenberg's work in the 15th century. His design should not be treated as proof that he invented the printing press. Rather, it shows him analyzing and improving a major mechanical technology of his era.

The term screw press is broader than printing: similar screw mechanisms were used for pressing wine, oil, paper, and other materials. In this context, the defining feature is the screw-driven pressing action, not a rotary cylinder or modern lithographic process.