For women, print culture opened new avenues for education and literacy. A large segment of Hindi printing was devoted to the education of women. Religious texts in printed form could be read out to large groups of illiterate men and women, enabling wider participation in social and religious discussions.

For the poor, print culture meant both employment and access to visual culture. Poor wood engravers set up shops near letterpresses and were employed by print shops. Cheap prints and calendars available in bazaars could be bought even by the poor to decorate their homes or workplaces, shaping popular ideas about modernity and tradition.

For reformers, print culture provided a powerful platform for social change. Religious texts in printed and portable form reached a very wide circle of people, encouraging discussions, debates and controversies within and among different religions. This facilitated the spread of reformist ideas across communities.