Block Books

What is a block book and how was it made?

In block printing an image and/or text are carved into a block of wood. After the carving is completed ink is applied to the raised surface and then transferred to a dampened sheet of paper. Transfer of the ink from block to paper can be carried out hand rubbing or by using a press.

Block books are books where each double page opening was printed from a single block of wood. Transfer of the ink from block to paper was initially carried out by hand rubbing, with the paper being printed on one side only and the resulting blank pages pasted together. The pages of later books were printed on both sides using a press. In some, but not all, cases the books were coloured by hand. The main centres of production were the Netherlands and Germany.



What particular advantages and disadvantages are associated with this way of making books?

You could add the image to a piece of paper first and add the text afterwards. Or vice versa. The page didn't necessarily have to be constructed in one go.

The woodblock technique had certain limitations as a method of making books. The process of cutting the blocks was time consuming and therefore expensive, with a separate block being required for each page, and it was difficult to cut even and well aligned text. However, the block book did have certain advantages over the book printed with moveable type. It was possible to integrate words and text in a way that was not available in other forms of printing and once a series of blocks were created books could be printed to order until such time as the blocks deteriorated. In the case of moveable type the need to re-use the expensive pieces of type meant that books were produced in limited editions.

The Printed book. Gutenberg and AfterBlock Books. CSU Disk: ART317.