xylography

Xylography is a relief printing technique in which an image or text is carved into a wooden block. The raised areas of the block are coated with ink and pressed onto paper, fabric, or other substrates to create a print. The term derives from the Greek xylon, meaning wood, and graphein, to write.

Historically, xylography originated in East Asia, with early woodblock marks in China. The Diamond Sutra, dated to 868 CE, is among the oldest surviving printed texts. Woodblock printing spread to Korea and Japan, where it supported religious prints, illustrated books, and the later development of multi-color, image-rich works such as ukiyo-e. In Europe, relief woodcut printing appeared in the 14th–15th centuries and remained a major method for book illustration until the rise of movable type.

Technique involves preparing a design, transferring it to a wooden block, and carving away the areas that will remain blank, leaving the image in relief. For color prints, separate blocks are carved for each color and aligned with precision using registration marks. Traditional East Asian methods, such as mokuhanga, employ water-based pigments and hand-applied color with a baren or roller; European practices often used oil-based inks and metal or wood blocks.

Materials commonly used include woods such as pear, cherry, or lime, high-quality papers (often handmade), and various inks. The process requires skilled carving, careful alignment, and repeated inking to produce multiple impressions.

Today xylography persists as a fine-art medium and a historical method of image reproduction. It remains valued for its tactile line, texture, and the ability to produce deliberate, limited editions.