Manuscripts in the early fifteenth century were so expensive primarily because they required an extensive amount of skilled labor and costly materials. The process of copying text by hand was very time-consuming, often performed by scribes who meticulously wrote on prepared animal skins such as vellum or parchment, which were expensive materials. Additionally, manuscripts sometimes included elaborate decorations and illuminations which further increased their cost. The high labor intensity, coupled with the expensive raw materials, made manuscripts valued and costly possessions before the advent of printing technology, which later reduced costs by enabling mass production of books.

Reasons for high cost of manuscripts

• Manuscript production was done entirely by hand, including writing, binding, and decoration, resulting in a very long process to complete a single book.
• Vellum and parchment were costly and required preparation from animal skins.
• Skilled scribes and artists were needed to copy texts and create decorative elements such as initials and illuminations, increasing labor costs.
• Manuscripts were luxury items, often commissioned by wealthy individuals, institutions, or monasteries, reflecting their status and wealth.

These factors combined to make manuscripts prohibitively expensive compared to later printed books, which benefited from the faster and repeatable printing process introduced mid-century by Gutenberg's movable type technology.