Woodblock printing is a method of printing most likely originating in China before 220CE. It was popularly used throughout East Asia and eventually made its way into Western civilizations.
Woodblock printing is created by carving out letters upon blocks of wood and then transferred onto paper or cloth. This is the predecessor of woodcuts, which were used to transfer illustrations into early books. The oldest samples of woodblock printing are silk prints estimated to have been created around the year 220 Common Era (CE).
A sixteen-foot long scroll from 868 AD is believed to be the oldest dated woodblock printing still in existence. The British Musuem currently houses the scroll which was discovered in the early 20th century.
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Early on the printings found in China were strongly linked to the teachings of Buddha, often containing lengthy stories of conversations held with the wise scholar. Other cultures copied the traditional woodblock printing technique for use on their own writings. Emerging as early as 1000 AD, people in Egypt were using the woodblock printing for their communications.
It was much later, during the 15th century, that Europeans adopted the style. The printing of woodblock letters and images gained new popularity in Europe as the method used to create elaborate illustrations on documents, playing cards and the widely popular block-books.
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