The Printing press was established by Decree 189, issued by the Minister of Culture on June 30, 1969, allowing the transfer of the El-Sahel and al-Mabyadah printing press, then belonging to al-Kitab al-Arabi Printing and Publishing House, to the ownership of the General Egyptian Establishment for Writing and Publishing. This would be the printing press of the Establishment and would print both its and the Ministry of Culture's publications. Other machines and equipment needed at the time by that press were thus duly provided.

In 1971, in accordance with Decree 2826 establishing the General Egyptian Book Organization (by merging the Egyptian National Library in the former ‘Establishment for Writing and publication' to create the new ‘organization') the press of the National Library was also merged in the Establishment Press. Thus was born a General Directorate of Presses.

GEBO presses fulfill The Organization's publishing plan. They have modernized their printing methods and carry out regular replacement and renewal work, so as to meet the requirements of modern publishing. The most advanced printing press equipment have been imported.

Both old linotype and offset printing systems are used. The printing processes are highly efficient and produce work of the highest quality. All sorts of composition systems are in place : photocomposition, computerized composition (Desk Top Publishing), Linophoto, monotype, as well as type-setting by compositors required for special books for which other systems are inadequate.

The presses handle all offset printing operations. These cover photocomposition, colour–separation by modern scanners, editing and printing on presses using state-of-the-art technology, especially the ‘Web' press with the highest productivity.

There are a great number of linotype machines which print the series and ‘easy' books which do not require highly technical procedures. This helps to reduce the cost, and enables the books to be sold at reasonabler prices. All kinds of binding are handled by the presses – ‘commercial', ‘technical' and so-called ‘Frankish', binding, using the best modern machines.