Unlike the woodblock printing of Tang Dynasty China, which utilized a single carved block of wood for an entire page and was highly efficient for reproducing standardized classics in large numbers, Goryeo Korea's movable metal type, cast in sand molds, allowed for the rapid assembly of varied texts. However, while Chinese woodblock printing relied on relatively soft water-based inks that easily soaked into porous mulberry paper, Korean metal type required a thicker, oil-based ink that would adhere to the slick brass or iron characters without pooling. Consequently, although Goryeo artisans could print a wider diversity of books without carving new blocks for every page, the physical printing process itself was considerably slower and more labor-intensive than the rapid sweeps of a Chinese ink brush over a carved block.
According to the passage, in comparison to Tang Dynasty woodblock printing, Goryeo Korea's movable metal type printing was explicitly characterized by which of the following?
- AGreater efficiency in reproducing massive quantities of standardized books due to the durability of brass and iron characters
- BA reliance on single carved blocks that restricted Goryeo artisans to printing a narrower variety of texts
- A slower, more labor-intensive printing process that required the use of a thicker, oil-based ink to adhere to slick metal surfacesAnswer
- DA faster printing technique that utilized soft water-based inks to print on porous mulberry paper