Qin Yuan looked at Minglou and asked in confusion, "Isn't movable type printing faster than engraving because you first make the typeface and then set the type?"
"Woodblocks can carve two to three pages a day. With movable type, as long as we carve out a few hundred commonly used characters, we can set at least forty to fifty pages a day. It's dozens of times more efficient!"
Ming Lou looked at Qin Yuan's serious expression and was a little confused: "Do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know?"
"Ah?" Qin Yuan was even more confused.
What's going on?
Is there something wrong with the records in the book?
Qin Yuan thought about it carefully and realized that there was nothing wrong with it. Movable type printing was indeed easier to use than woodblock printing and more advanced!
Minglou was also confused. He didn't believe that Qin Yuan didn't know about this.
But looking at Qin Yuan's confused and shocked expression, it seemed that he really didn't understand the problem with this movable type printing technology.
He could only slowly say, "If you want to use this movable type printing technique, the typesetter must be someone who can read and write."
"Woodblock printers don't need to know how to read; they just need to copy the manuscript."
"For this reason alone, the wages required for movable type printing craftsmen far exceeded those for woodblock printing craftsmen."
Qin Yuan nodded and said, "I see."
He had never paid attention to this problem.
It's really a hassle.
The typesetting must be done by people who can read and write, and also by specialized people for proofreading.
It has indeed increased a lot of costs invisibly.
Minglou continued, "Besides, Xiao Yuanzi, even if there were a literate craftsman responsible for typesetting, movable type printing is not easy."
"Movable type is small and easily damaged. Furthermore, it's not easy to control the size of each type to be exactly the same, and it requires a lot of effort."
"Furthermore, during the experiment, we discovered that the movable type molds were often uneven and uneven when setting type. The books printed using this method were truly of very poor quality."
Qin Yuan said in a muffled voice: "This is easy to solve. It's a problem with the font."
"Clay and wood won't work, but using copper or lead type won't have this problem."
Ming Lou shook his head and said, "I've also had them try what you're talking about, but the results were not satisfactory."
"Whether it's a copper mold or a lead mold, it's very difficult to make, not to mention the need for a unified style and specifications."
“Besides, even if it is made, it is difficult to use the ink.”
"These are not really problems, and we can find ways to solve them."
"The biggest trouble still lies in printing the book."
Qin Yuan was stunned. What could be wrong with printing a book?
Now that you have mastered the technology, shouldn’t you be getting better and better?
Ming Lou continued, "Xiao Yuanzi, you're obsessed! Books aren't just words; they also have illustrations. In that case, movable type printing is useless, and we'll have to use woodblock printing!"
Qin Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "This doesn't seem to be too much trouble..."
"I haven't finished yet." Minglou said leisurely: "The engraving block is carved once. As long as the engraving block is not damaged, you can print it at will."
"But if it's movable type, and we print a hundred copies this year and a hundred copies next year, should we keep the layout or destroy it?"
“If it were kept, the cost of the typeface would be much higher than the engraving.”
“If it is destroyed, it will still need to be re-typeset when it is reprinted.”
"Your movable type printing technique may sound simple and convenient, but in practice it's actually quite complex and ultimately not as easy to use as woodblock printing."
"Furthermore, if we can find skilled craftsmen for woodblock printing, we can also carve out the author's true style and charm in the book, so that future generations can understand it."
"But the movable type you used doesn't have any connection between the characters. It's really too abrupt and looks really awkward."
“No one will buy a book like this.”
"So, Xiao Yuanzi, if you don't have any other plans, you should stop researching movable type printing. From a practical point of view, it's far inferior to woodblock printing."
Listening to Minglou's words, Qin Yuan thought about it over and over again.
It seems that movable type printing can only be used for publications with a strong sense of timeliness, such as newspapers.
If you print large-volume formal books or classic books that have been published for many years, they are indeed not as good as woodblock prints.
No wonder in the history of the past, printing was invented in the Tang Dynasty and there were records of movable type printing in the Northern Song Dynasty, but until the end of the Qing Dynasty, traditional woodblock printing still dominated.
It’s not that the ancients couldn’t think of it, or that they didn’t know how convenient this thing was.
Rather, it was actual usage that determined the development of printing.
In this age where we pay great attention to the shape and stroke order of characters, this movable type printing technology really has problems!
Qin Yuan couldn't help but sigh: "No wonder people always say that practice makes perfect."
"I took it for granted."
Well……
What’s going on!
At this time, shouldn't this guy smile slightly and proudly take out his entire plan centered around movable type printing?
What's the situation with admitting mistakes so humbly?
Could it be that this kid Qin Yuan really hasn't thought about this?
Did I really guess wrong?
No way!
Minglou still didn't believe it and asked again: "Then——"
"Forget about movable type printing?"
"The price of the book has been brought down anyway, so there's no need to reprint it again, which would only hurt both sides."
"It's just to disgust them, and the actual effect is really just that. Maybe it will make them feel a little pain for a while, but it's far from a loss."
Qin Yuan nodded and said affirmatively: "Old man, you are right. It makes sense."
ah?
Minglou's eyes almost popped out, and he wished he could grab Qin Yuan's shoulders and force him to tell him his plan.
fine!
Just listen to Qin Yuan saying.
"Old man, we still need to continue studying movable type printing."
"Although printing books is useless, we can print newspapers."
"Newspaper? What is this?" Ming Lou and Ming Zhanxue asked at the same time.
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