Peter Schöffer (born 1425?, Gernsheim, Hesse [Germany]—died 1502,Mainz [Germany]) was a German printer who assistedJohannes Gutenberg and later opened his ownprinting shop.

Schöffer studied inParis, where he supported himself as a copyist, and then became an apprentice to Gutenberg in Mainz. He entered the printing business as the partner of Gutenberg’s creditor,Johann Fust, whose daughter he later married. The best-surviving examples of his craftsmanship are the 1457 MainzPsalter and the 1462 48-line Bible. The Psalter was the first printed book to give the date and place of printing and the printers’ names.

Schöffer cast the first metallic type inmatrices and used it for the second edition of the Vulgate Bible. By the time of his death he had printed more than 300 books.