What is Xylography?

Xylography, also known as woodcut or woodblock printmaking, is the oldest form of printmaking, with examples dating back as far as the 3rd century. Some of the most notable woodcut printmakers include Albrecht Dürer, Utagawa Hiroshige, and Katsushika Hokusai.

To create a woodcut print, a design first is carved into the surface of a wooden block. A layer of printing ink is then applied to the surface of the block with a rubber roller. Paper is then placed onto the inked block, and pressure is applied, either by hand or with a printing press. The paper is then peeled away from the block, revealing the final result.

As woodcut printmaking enables multiple copies of the same image to be created, it was originally used as a means to mass-produce imagery in the pre-digital age. With the development of new technologies, other forms of printing became progressively faster and cheaper than printing from carved wooden blocks. This inevitably led to woodcut printmaking becoming obsolete within industry.

In an ironic twist of fate, woodcut’s inherent inability to match the speed and scale of digital printing has now become one of its most desirable qualities. Today, the pursuit of xylography continues, with printmakers across the world still producing woodcut prints.