Question

Give reasons for the following.

Woodblock print only came to Europe after 1295.

Answer 1

Woodblock print only came to Europe after 1295 due to the following reasons:

1. China, Japan, and Korea invented the first type of print technology, a hand-printing system.
2. From AD 594 onwards, books in China were printed by rubbing paper, which had also been invented there, against the inked surface of wooden blocks.
3. Marco Polo, the famous explorer, travelled to China to explore.
4. In 1295, he returned to Italy, bringing his wisdom with him.
5. This technology spread throughout Europe, starting in Italy.
6. Religious preachers also played an important role in spreading print culture.
7. However, it may be mentioned that luxury editions were still handwritten on vellum and intended for aristocratic people and wealthy monastic libraries that dismissed printed books as cheap vulgarities. Merchants and students in university towns purchased the less expensive printed versions.
8. With the growing demand for books, woodblock printing became increasingly popular.
9. By the early fifteenth century, woodblocks were commonly employed in Europe to print fabrics, playing cards, and religious images with brief text.