• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.289-301
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• 2021

When investigating old, printed documents, determining whether a work is printed on a woodblock or using a movable metal type is crucial. It is because the history of printing in Korea and across the world relies on determining the relevant printing invention used and the time of use of the movable metal type. Deciphering details from woodblock and metal prints requires various kinds of information regarding the imprint and the work's printing background, such as information on the characters in the printed document, the outline of the pages, the type of ink used, the production period of the ink, and the production period of the Korean paper. Analyzing such information can generally reveal the production period and the methods used on the old document. However, as such information is not documented systematically, relying on the researcher's judgment based on their experience and perception becomes inevitable. This study conducted an experimental investigation of the printing characteristics of woodblock prints using a replicated woodblock of the Wanpanbon edition of the Shimcheongjeon. Subsequently, the various phenomena and characteristics appearing on the woodblock prints were documented for future reference to determine the printing method of old documents. Finally, woodblock novels without an imprint may be used as a reference to estimate the printing dates by determining the degree of wear on the woodblock.