932: Chinese printers begin using wood block printing to create books: Words and drawings are carved in reverse on wood blocks, which are then smeared with ink and pressed against paper.

Block printing, in which ink is applied to carved woodcuts and printed onto paper or cloth, arrived in Europe from China in the 1200s.

Editor's note: The China Engraved Block Printing Technique is a traditional method of printing that involves manually carving characters and images into wooden blocks, which are then inked and ...