Carving and Printing a Woodblock — Relief Printing on Paper

Woodblock printing is the oldest method of printing text and images onto paper or cloth. Invented in China during the Tang dynasty (7th century CE) and spreading to Europe by the 14th century, it works by carving an image in relief on a flat block of wood — the raised surface holds ink and transfers it to paper when pressed. European broadsheets, playing cards, and early book illustrations were all printed this way before movable type. This blueprint covers selecting and preparing the wood, transferring a design, carving with gouges and knives, inking, and pulling prints by hand.