Long before printing was invented, the Chinese used seals and stone-rubbings to produce writings and drawings.

Seals, which can be dated back to the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century BC), were most popular during the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC). The advent of paper enabled people to ink the tablets and then press paper over them to "print" words. This method came rather close to printing, as we know it today

Two types of seals-in relief or intaglio (incised carving) were used. Seals cut in relief produced clear, black characters on white paper, but their small size prevented them from printing many characters at a time.