Changes

Beginning in the 970s, the [[Song Dynasty]] Imperial court organized the establishment of government workshops dedicated to the production of dictionaries, encyclopedias, official histories, literary anthologies, and copies of the [[Confucian classics]]. One particularly notable project was the publication of an official and complete copy of the Buddhist canon, 1,076 volumes in total, completed in [[983]]; the project completed over the course of a twelve-year period, involved the production of 130,000 woodblocks.

Beginning in the 970s, the [[Song Dynasty]] Imperial court organized the establishment of government workshops dedicated to the production of dictionaries, encyclopedias, official histories, literary anthologies, and copies of the [[Confucian classics]]. One particularly notable project was the publication of an official and complete copy of the Buddhist canon, 1,076 volumes in total, completed in [[983]]; the project completed over the course of a twelve-year period, involved the production of 130,000 woodblocks.

Moveable type was developed in China in the 11th century, but never caught on, largely it is said due to the vast number of different characters for which one would need to maintain type blocks.

Moveable type was developed in China in the 11th century,<ref>Traditionally said to have been developed by a man named Bi Sheng around [[1045]]. Gallery labels, Royal Ontario Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/48532571242/sizes/l/]</ref> but never caught on, largely it is said due to the vast number of different characters for which one would need to maintain type blocks. The first metal moveable type in the world was then developed in the early 13th century in Korea.<ref>Gallery labels, Royal Ontario Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/48532572882/sizes/l/]</ref> A style of moveable type developed in [[1434]] called ''gabinja'' was later recast six times and remained the most popular typeface in Korea throughout much of the Joseon period.<ref>Gallery labels, Royal Ontario Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/48532417626/in/photostream/]</ref>

From that time until sometime in the 12th century, publishing in China was dominated by the Court. Government workshops produced books of laws, statutes and procedures; literary anthologies, classics and histories; and works on astronomy, natural history, and medicine, donating the works to state-sponsored schools, or selling them through private booksellers. In the 12th century, the volume of publications produced by private publishers, and by private academies, surpassed that of the government. Private publishers published a great variety of relatively inexpensive, and popularly available, works aimed at helping students prepare for the [[Chinese imperial examinations|civil examinations]], ranging from copies of the classics to essays by famous scholars, dictionaries, writing manuals, and cheat sheets called "kerchief albums," which could be snuck into the exams themselves. Other works published commercially at this time included works of fiction, poetry and essays, as well as works on medicine and divination.

From that time until sometime in the 12th century, publishing in China was dominated by the Court. Government workshops produced books of laws, statutes and procedures; literary anthologies, classics and histories; and works on astronomy, natural history, and medicine, donating the works to state-sponsored schools, or selling them through private booksellers. In the 12th century, the volume of publications produced by private publishers, and by private academies, surpassed that of the government. Private publishers published a great variety of relatively inexpensive, and popularly available, works aimed at helping students prepare for the [[Chinese imperial examinations|civil examinations]], ranging from copies of the classics to essays by famous scholars, dictionaries, writing manuals, and cheat sheets called "kerchief albums," which could be snuck into the exams themselves. Other works published commercially at this time included works of fiction, poetry and essays, as well as works on medicine and divination.

It was only in the 15th or 16th century that multi-color printing of secular materials, including popular publications, took off.  

It was only in the 15th or 16th century that multi-color printing of secular materials, including popular publications, took off.

==Spread of Technology==

==Spread of Technology==

Woodblock printing spread to Japan in the 8th century, only shortly after it took off in China, and numerous examples of the ''[[hyakumanto darani|hyakumantô darani]]'', small woodblock-printed scrolls produced by the Japanese Imperial Court in [[764]]-[[770]], remain extant.

Woodblock printing spread to Japan in the 8th century, only shortly after it took off in China, and numerous examples of the ''[[hyakumanto darani|hyakumantô darani]]'', small woodblock-printed scrolls produced by the Japanese Imperial Court in [[764]]-[[770]], remain extant.

Paper, first invented in China, was first introduced to the Islamic world around the same time, via the [[Silk Road]]. Printing was introduced to the Muslim world in the same manner, in or around the 11th century, but Islam rejected the mechanical reproduction of sacred texts; the Quran and other holy texts continued to be produced by hand, and the printing press began to be used in the Arab world only in the 18th century.

Paper, first invented in China in the 1st century BCE,<ref>Gallery labels, Royal Ontario Museum.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/48532570997/sizes/l/]</ref> was first introduced to the Islamic world also around the 8th century CE, via the [[Silk Road]]. Printing was introduced to the Muslim world in the same manner, in or around the 11th century, but Islam rejected the mechanical reproduction of sacred texts; the Quran and other holy texts continued to be produced by hand, and the printing press began to be used in the Arab world only in the 18th century.

Meanwhile, in Western Europe, Johannes Gutenberg of Mainz developed a printing press method in the 1440s that scholars believe was invented independently of Chinese techniques.

Meanwhile, in Western Europe, Johannes Gutenberg of Mainz developed a printing press method in the 1440s that scholars believe was invented independently of Chinese techniques.