China invented the printing technology, and then it spread to many countries. Japan was the first country to develop the printing technology after China. In the year 8, Japan began to use engraved block printing to publish Buddhist literature. Graved block printing also spread to North Korea and some countries in Central Asia, with Persia becoming the stopover station between China and western countries.

In about 14 centuries, engraved block printing passed to Egypt from Persia. Then at the end of the 14th century, a kind of paper card -- a Latin textbook made from wooden block printing -- appeared in Europe.

In about 14 countries, the wood movable type spread to North Korea and Japan. The Korean people made their copper type based on the wood type

Chinese movable type printing was spread from Sinkiang (Northwest China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region) to Persia and Egypt before then arriving in Europe.

The influence that printing had upon Europe was profound. The development of printing and moveable type influenced and shaped both the Renaissance (14th-16th century) and the Reformation (16th century) periods. Furthermore, through printing, education was popularized as books became cheaper and literacy spread, with education and literacy allowing for greater social mobility.