Concise History of Chinese Printing

Author: Zhang Shudong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: This book is a historical account of Chinese printing technology, tracing its origins from the late Neolithic period's rudimentary manual engraving techniques to the high-speed development of printing in the modern era, covering a span of over five thousand years. Printing is a craft technology and falls under the category of science and technology. This book begins with the craft technology, taking the development of printing technology as its main thread, while also encompassing various fields such as printing equipment, scientific research and education, the origins of dissemination, and its connections with social and cultural undertakings. Thus, it is also a history of the printing industry centered on printing technology. As a revised and popularized version of the monumental work Comprehensive History of Chinese Printing, this book inherits its characteristics, supported by extensive literature and artifacts, compiling the research achievements of predecessors and the author. It extends the perspective of the broader printing history in both vertical time and horizontal dimensions related to printing technology and the printing industry, thereby expanding the research scope of printing. It provides a comprehensive and systematic account of the invention of Chinese printing and the development of the printing industry. At the same time, it focuses on thematic discussions, highlighting the vertical evolutionary context and aims to be concise and accessible, catering to the needs of general readers for a general understanding.