After hearing this, Hu Changan couldn't help but be a little confused.
It takes half a year to print just a hundred books?
This timeline is too long!
Hu Changan hurriedly asked the printer: "Why does it take so long to print these one hundred books?"
When the printing master heard this, he complained bitterly to Hu Chang'an: "Shilang Hu, it's not that we don't work hard, but the book you gave us is really difficult to print!"
"Shilang Hu, your two books together have hundreds of pages. It will take us a lot of time just to carve the template for this book."
"Coupled with the subsequent printing time, it will take at least half a year."
"Shilang Hu, the time I have to report to you is relatively short."
"If something unexpected happens along the way, it might take a year to print these 100 books."
When Hu Changan heard this, he was also stunned: "Why are you still using woodblock printing? Didn't movable type printing appear long ago?"
No wonder Hu Changan was surprised.
This movable type printing technology was invented as early as the Northern Song Dynasty.
Why, according to this craftsman, are they still using woodblock printing?
When the printing master heard this, he also laughed: "Shilang Hu, you don't know something."
"Although this movable type printing technology is good, the initial cost is quite high!"
"Just for the copper needed to make the movable type template, the price is not a small amount."
"Not to mention the manufacturing process of copper movable type, which is extremely complicated."
"It will take at least a few years to complete this set of calligraphy models."
"Our Ming Dynasty is not yet so wealthy."
What the printer said is actually quite reasonable.
Although movable type printing had been invented as early as the Song Dynasty, it was still not the mainstream technology in the printing industry until the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty.
On the contrary, engraving and printing were used more often.
There is no other reason but this.
The movable types used in movable type printing today are all made of copper.
In ancient times, due to underdeveloped smelting technology, the price of copper remained high.
More importantly, the method of making typefaces is also quite cumbersome.
As the craftsman said, within a few years, it was impossible to cast a single version of movable type.
However, when Hu Changan heard this, he smiled slightly and said: "Since the cost of making movable type with copper is high, can't we just use wood?"
When the printer heard this, he was stunned.
What?
Can movable type be made from wood?
At that moment, the printing master expressed his disapproval: "Master Hu, how can we make movable type out of this wood?"
"I have been a printer for so long, but I have never heard that wood can be used to make movable type!"
"The texture of this wood is uneven, how can it be carved into words?"
However, when Hu Changan heard this, he smiled slightly and said, "You haven't even tried it, so why do you say this wood can't be carved into movable type?"
"Although some wood has poor texture, wouldn't it be fine if we just choose high-quality wood with a relatively high density?"
At this time, the printing master was not happy: "Shilang Hu, I have told you, why don't you believe it?"
"It's easy to talk about it, but when you actually practice it, you will find problems."
"I think you should just wait patiently. Anyway, it's only half a year and it's gone by in a flash."
People like printing masters are most annoyed by people who don't know how to pretend to understand and rely on their power and power to blindly point out the country.
Every time such people come to the printing workshop, their progress will be greatly slowed down.
Basically, none of these wild ideas can come true.
After a lot of fuss, they could only honestly let the workers do it.
However, when Hu Changan heard this, he just waved his hand and said: "It's okay, just follow my instructions and give it a try first."
"If you don't succeed after trying it, you can follow your own method."
"If the experiment fails, then all the wasted time will be on me, and I will not blame you."
Now that Hu Changan has said this, the craftsmen have nothing to say.
Anyway, Hu Changan is the superior. If he insists on trying, these craftsmen can only try according to Hu Changan's ideas.
So the craftsmen could only take out the wood and carve movable type.
When Hu Changan saw that everyone was starting work, he left with satisfaction.
However, as soon as Hu Changan left, the workers started to explode.
Everyone was working hard, but they were complaining about Hu Changan.
"Shilang Hu's face is really big! He must have never spent even a day in a printing room for such a big man. How does a layman like him want to give us advice? He is too ridiculous!"
"I bet that Hu Shilang's method will definitely not work. Using wood to make movable type? It is simply unheard of! I have been working in this printing room for more than 20 years, and I have never heard that it can be done with wood.
Movable type!”
"People like Shilang Hu should take a hard beating in life. When time is wasted later because of the experiment with movable type, he will definitely have no place to cry!"
Except for Hu Changan, no one believed that movable type could be made from wood for printing.
In the eyes of these craftsmen, what they are doing now is useless!
But even if it's useless work, they still have to do it.
Who called Hu Changan their immediate boss?
Can't afford to offend, can't afford to offend.
In this way, the production of movable type slowly advanced.
Finally, after a month, the commonly used movable type was ready.
On the day when the movable type was made, Hu Changan took the time to come to the printing room, preparing to verify the birth of the first version of the wooden movable type printing product.
Under the supervision of Hu Changan, the workers used wooden movable type to lay out the plates and dipped them in ink in preparation for printing.
Soon, the first piece of paper will be peeled off.
Everyone is holding their breath and waiting to see the results of this printing.
Of course, no one except Hu Changan himself thought that this printing could be successful.
Everyone is waiting to see Hu Changan's jokes.
Finally, the time has come.
Under the unanimous attention of everyone, the paper was peeled off.
But what everyone expected did not happen.
I saw that this piece of paper was actually full of words neatly printed on it?
The craftsmen couldn't help but be confused.
How come this wood can really be made into movable type for printing?
One of the old craftsmen didn't believe it at first.
Taking the piece of paper, he read it carefully.
He didn't believe it, this wood could also print words?
There is definitely something wrong here!
But what disappointed the old craftsman was that after looking at it for a long time, he couldn't see any problems.
This is a very normal piece of paper.
Compared with ordinary woodblock printing finished products, there is no big difference at all.