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From the artist's initial sketch to the final hand-printed impression, Japanese woodblock printmaking is a centuries-old craft involving specialized artisans, traditional materials, and techniques found nowhere else in the world.

In the early twentieth century, two rival movements set out to revitalize Japanese woodblock printing — one preserving the old collaborative system, the other insisting the artist must do everything alone. Their differences shaped modern printmaking.

Japanese woodblock prints are one of the most accessible categories of fine art to collect. From affordable later impressions to museum-quality first editions, here is everything you need to know to begin.

The difference between an original Japanese woodblock print and a modern reproduction can be worth thousands of dollars. Here is how to tell them apart using paper, printing characteristics, color, and publisher marks.

Whether you are a new collector, a printmaking student, or a longtime enthusiast, these essential books on Japanese woodblock prints cover technique, history, collecting, and the major artists of the tradition.