before print rev

Question 1

earliest print technology

Answer 1

first in china, a system of hand printing called woodblock printing was invented where paper was rubbed against the surface of woodblocks (ad 954).

Question 2

accordion books and scribes

Answer 2

traditional Chinese accordion book: both sides of the thin and porous sheet could not be printed hence they were folded and stitched on the side.
scribes could duplicate calligraphy with remarkable accuracy

Question 3

why was china the largest producer of printed material?

Answer 3

-huge bureaucratic system
-recruited personnel through civil service exams
-textbooks for exam were printed

Question 4

china to japan (oldest book. ukiyo)

Answer 4

Buddhist missionaries
oldest Japanese book- Buddhist Diamond Sutra, contained six sheets of text
pictures printed on textiles, playing cards, paper money

kitagawa utamaro born in edo- ukiyo- pictures of the floating world

Question 5

europe

Answer 5

chinese paper through silk route made possible the production of manuscripts
1295, Marco Polo brought knowledge of woodblock printing from China to Italy. Tech spread from Italy to other parts of Europe

Question 6

cons of manuscripts

Answer 6

copying was laborious, time-consuming and expensive
manuscripts were fragile, hard to read, and could not be carried around easily

Question 7

increase in demand of books (china and Europe)

Answer 7

china- no longer used by just scholar officials but merchants for trade info and rich women began to read and publish

europe- merchants and students bought cheap printed copies but luxury editions were still handwritten on expensive vellum for the aristocracy
booksellers employed scribes
need was still not satisfied

Question 8

printing press

Answer 8

15th c, Johann Gutenberg in Strasbourg, Germany.
son of a merchant, grew up in agricultural estate, saw olive and wine presses
became a master goldsmith, learned to use lead moulds for making trinkets
olive press provided model, moulds for casting metal types for letters of the alphabet. perfected the system.
THE FIRST BOOK PRINTED WAS THE BIBLE
180 copies in 3 years

Question 9

how were printed books

Answer 9

resembled the written manuscripts in appearance and layout
foilage and patters on borders by hand
for rich space was kept black for decor
15th c 20 million copies to 200 million copies by 16th c