What is printing

　　Printing was one of the four great inventions of ancient China. Which and the compass,gunpowder,papermaking were known as four great inventions of the ancient China.

　　

　　Carved characters on pottery

　　The invention of printing is the representative of the ancient Chinese working people's wisdom.no one could deny the contribution it has made to the human civilization. Therefore, put is as the "mother culture" is very appropriate.

　　So, what is printing?

　　In term of literal meaning, with a trace of printing means print, inunction of brush means brush. Use brush to clean and make the signs in other objects, that's the printing!

　　In brief, printing is the industry which product printed matter. The printed matter's production, similar like seal. Caving seals(version)first, and then make the seal (version) stained with ink, then moving the seal (version) on the paper, silks, leather and so on materials. So the printed matter finished.

　　

　　Bark cloth printing pictures

　　In terms of scientific views. With a trace of printing in object(narrow sense only in terms of paper), and the marks (many more times' copies )can reflect and absorb to the illuminate of light through the eyes, making the person's visual nerve identify shapes and colors of the mark. We call it printing.

　　In terms of cultural view, printing is a way to express and spread human thoughts.Ancient Chinese printing is use brush dip ink coating on forme, then coated paper on the forme, later use the other clean and dry brush to brush the back side lightly, on the formes there is a raised reverse writing, namely, on the paper there is a positive printed character.because one brush for a quick printing, therefore, we call it printing.

　　Generally speaking, printing is a kind of industrial engineering which is a method to directly or indirectly put the image or text manuscript as forme, coated with pigment ink on edition, by the pressure transferring pigment ink on paper or other substrates, and then quickly do a larger number of replication.

　　

　　Oracle picture

　　At present, brush seal has fallen into disuse, even no need pressure. We can have the printing method to copy .

　　Goes back to Chinese printing, with a long long history and spread far away, has played a very important role in Chinese culture. Which along with the birth of the Chinese culture germination, along with the development of the Chinese culture evolution. If we talk it from its origin. Which has already experienced the origin, the ancient, modern and contemporary four historical period. For the development of more than five thousand years.In early times, in order to record events, spread `experience and knowledge, people created the early text symbols, meanwhile, seeking to record these characters of medium. Due to the limitation of the means of production, people can only use natural objects to recorded text symbols.

　　For example, record the word in rock, leaves, animal bones, stones, bark and some other natural materials. Due to the very expensive recorded text materials. Therefore, only the important events can be recorded briefly. Many people's experience, relying on oral transmission. Which seriously influence the developments of social culture.

　　

　　Printing's invention greatly changed this face, people's experience, can be recorded, large number of replication, transmission, This circumstance made great changes have taken place in social culture. so that more and more people have the opportunity to study.

　　With the passage of time and the development of social culture, appeared in Chinese neolithic period, manual sculpture technology which used in text symbols and patterns' carving, printing, and bark clothing printing,gradually develop from rough, simple caving to complex and delicate, specificate engraving.

　　In shang period (11th century),people had used to caved in oracle. In the western zhou dynasty, because of the engraving technology was combined with ancient smelting technology, the cast or carved bronze container has appeared and developed. From east zhou to Dynasty qin, the wind of carved stone is increasingly prevalent, making the old manual sculpture technology reach a quick development form both quantity and quality. And set a precedent for using seal to print. Which made a great contribution to the development of China's cultural undertakings.while brought more opportunities and good conditions for the old manual sculpture technology further development and perfection.

　　Since Qin and Han dynasties, lute and stamps belong to the manual sculpture technology extension in the field of application and transfer copy technology extensive use. For the rubbing technique and further development of the fabric printing. Which essentially is the prototype of the printing press.