Xylography

Xylography was a method used for printmaking, involving relief cuts on blocks of wood to create texts and images. Mercadal writes in her article, “The technique allows for the creation of multi-colored prints by using multiple blocks, one for each color, and involves inking the carved surfaces before pressing them onto paper or another medium” (Mercadal para. 2). Xylography was the groundwork for many different printing methods, including linoleum block printmaking which is a form of art used quite often in today’s world for artists.

History

It was used around the 8th century in Asia as a method for early printing and eventually became the foundation for typography. It was a method of printmaking that used woodcuts and woodblocks as a form of relief. It’s been used for texts and images to publish books. In his book, Robinson explains, "The earliest examples of Chinese woodblock printing, or xylography, are from about the eighth century, during the Tang Dynasty (618-907)...From China, printing technology spread throughout Asia, with particularly important innovations in Japan and Korea" (Robinson 76-77). Xylography wasn’t able to keep up with the supply and demand of books, stepping down to allow more efficient methods to blossom, including typography.

Woodblock Printing Steps

The process of xylography is similar to other processes used in the publishing industry, including lithography, but wood is used rather than steel or metal to create the tablet used for printing. The original text is transferred to wooden blocks by using relief cuts. The block is inked up to print on the paper before the paper is left out to dry. Once all the pages are printed, the book is binded together.

Publishing Industry

Xylography was an important method for early printing in Asia as well as some countries in Europe. It was an essential foundation for more efficient printmaking methods, both in the publishing industry and the art world.