The famous Cooper Square Facsimile of the Gutenberg Bible was issued in two volumes totaling 1282 pages. Volume I contained 648 pages and Volume II had 634 pages. It was printed on off-white, ninety pound, one hundred percent cotton rag paper made especially for this edition by the Curtis Paper Company. It had a laid finish and was smooth enough to take quality intaglio printing

The 93 illuminated pages were printed via a five-color, sheet-fed gravure, which yielded a true and careful reproduction of the many subtle colors on the original leaves. To guarantee richness and fidelity, each color sheet was fed through the intaglio press seven separate times. The remaining 1189 non-illuminated pages were printed by photolithography in three-color line to reproduce faithfully the rubrications which enhance the black letters.

Gold was widely used within the illuminations of the original Gutenberg Bible, but trying to replicate the same appearance with print presented a special problem. After several experiments, the use of a golden-bronze powder proved most satisfactory.

In order to receive final approval, the printers needed to be sure the gold effect would last over time without discoloration. Tests in a tarnish machine gave rise to an innovative process to protect the metallic powder from harmful chemical reactions by encasing it in an undercoat and an overcoat of a special protective lacquer.