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How did printing in Asia develop before Gutenberg’s European printing press?

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Long before Johannes Gutenberg’s innovations in Europe, printing technology was extensively developed in Asia, primarily through the use of paper, ink, and relief surfaces.1

Woodblock Printing

By the 6th century, the Chinese developed woodblock printing, where text was carved in relief onto wood blocks. This allowed for the rapid production of multiple copies of texts and images. Notable early examples include Buddhist incantations from Japan (c. 764–770) and the Diamond Sutra (868), the oldest known printed book. By the 9th or 10th century, paged books replaced scrolls, and the technology was used for historical, literary, and herbal works, as well as paper money and playing cards.12

Movable Type

The Chinese alchemist Pi Sheng invented movable type around 1041–1048 using baked clay, though it did not replace woodblock printing due to the complexity of setting thousands of calligraphic characters. Later, in the 13th century, Korea significantly advanced typography, casting bronze type under royal patronage in the 15th century, decades before similar developments in Europe.32