What’s the difference between woodblock printing and a printing press?

Woodblock printing and printing press both are used for printing purposes, but they are fundamentally different. Woodblock printing is one of the oldest printing techniques, which involves carving an image or text into a block of wood and then pressing it onto paper or fabric. It was first used in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and later spread to Japan and Korea. On the other hand, the printing press is a revolutionary technological advancement that significantly improved the speed and efficiency of printing. It was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century and involved arranging individual letters and symbols on a movable metal type. The primary differences between the two are: - Woodblock printing uses a carved block of wood that is pressed onto the paper or fabric, while the printing press uses a metal type that is pressed onto the paper. - Woodblock printing is a manual process that involves carving a new block for each print, while the printing press allows for the reuse of the same typeface for multiple prints. - The printing press can produce a higher volume of prints in a shorter time span than woodblock printing. Overall, while both techniques are important in the history of printing, the printing press revolutionized printing by allowing for more efficient and faster production.