After that, he returned to Breitkopf
and Hartel, at Leipzig, where he had first learnt his trade.
During this time, having saved a little money, he enrolled
himself for a year as a regular student at the University of
Leipzig.
According to Koenig's own account, he first began to devise ways
and means for improving the art of printing in the year 1802,
when he was twenty-eight years old. Printing large sheets of
paper by hand was a very slow as well as a very laborious
process. One of the things that most occupied the young
printer's mind was how to get rid of this "horse-work," for such
it was, in the business of printing. He was not, however,
over-burdened with means, though he devised a machine with this
object. But to make a little money, he made translations for the
publishers. In 1803 Koenig returned to his native town of
Eisleben, where he entered into an arrangement with Frederick
Riedel, who furnished the necessary capital for carrying on the
business of a printer and bookseller. Koenig alleges that his
reason for adopting this step was to raise sufficient money to
enable him to carry out his plans for the improvement of
printing.
The business, however, did not succeed, as we find him in the
following year carrying on a printing trade at Mayence. Having
sold this business, he removed to Suhl in Thuringia. Here he was
occupied with a stereotyping process, suggested by what he had
read about the art as perfected in England by Earl Stanhope.
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