Movable type printing was invented by Bi Sheng in the Northern Song Dynasty in China. His clay type was 400 years earlier than the western type, so Bi Sheng is known as the originator of movable type in the world.
Movable type printing is an ancient printing method, which was invented by working people in ancient China through long-term practice and research. First, make a model of the original text and inverted text of the single word, then select the single word according to the original, arrange it in the font plate, ink it and print it, and then remove the font after printing, so as to use it again in the next typesetting.
Wood movable type printing technology
Traditionally, wood movable type printing technology was invented by Wang Zhen of Yuan Dynasty. However, it is a pity that in the voluminous ancient books of China in China, movable type was not printed in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, but only recorded in the literature. This also makes some foreign scholars doubt whether movable type printing was successfully used in China Song Dynasty.
However, it is gratifying that the movable type printed books of the Xixia period were found in the Xixia literature unearthed in the 20th century. These movable type printing books not only filled the gaps in the study of the early history and culture of Xixia, but also provided rare physical materials for the study of the early movable type printing technology in China.