Published: August 3, 2025
Setting aside the surrounding reputation, the pages of the black-and-white picture book for babies were completed. Feeling satisfied, I held hands with Lutz as we walked home along the main street, where the signs of autumn were growing stronger.
“Since making the glue will come after preparing for winter, I’d like to get back to making the children’s Sacred Scripture first,” I said.
“Using woodblock prints again? Isn’t paper easier? Myne can do that, after all.”
While hoping to make books during the autumn reading season, I said this to Lutz, who tilted his head lightly.
Lutz was right—cutting thick paper to make the original plate wasn’t that difficult. Since even I could do it, it didn’t require much strength.
“Yeah. For the main text, if we cut it out with a cutter and write the letters, there’s no need to reverse the letters. For picture books with fewer letters, this should be fine. …Though we’ll need to order a few more cutters.”
Since these cutters are custom-made, the design cutters are a bit expensive, but trying to do woodblock prints would require collecting tools like chisels anyway.
“It’s natural that the initial investment costs money; it can’t be helped.”
“…Just like you said before, Myne. Trying something new costs money. That’s what the saved money is for, isn’t it?”
Someday, I want to create basic movable type for letterpress printing, but making the types requires very delicate craftsmanship, and if we want to make metal type, it will cost even more money, so that will be for later.
“Sigh… I’m still nowhere near Mr. Gutenberg.”
“Who’s that?”
“He’s a great man who accomplished feats almost godlike to me. My goal. …For now, I can only improve things where I can. Lutz, is there anything you want improved?”
“Is there some tool to hold down the paper when printing? If I let my guard down even a bit, the paper slips, my fingers get covered in ink, and the ink’s hard to wash off. It’s pretty annoying.”
Lutz is an apprentice merchant serving nobles. He must maintain a neat appearance, but it’s very bad for him to get his hands dirty like a craftsman.
We could entrust it to the gray priests, but Lutz insists on “I’ll make whatever Myne designs.” So we have to think of ways to avoid getting dirty as much as possible.
“Hmm, if we make just the frame for stencil printing first, I think it would be a lot better.”
“Gariban? What’s that?”
“Well, there’s something called stencil printing which works by poking holes in a plate and applying ink through it. Gariban printing is a type of that. Gariban printing uses a wooden frame and mesh to hold down the paper, so having that would make it harder to get your hands dirty. Like this.”
I took out a writing board, stopped on the spot, and began drawing a diagram. Lutz was startled and pulled me aside, saying, “Hey, Myne! At least step to the side!” so we moved to the edge of the street.
While moving the iron stylus, I explained to Lutz.
“It’s a wooden platform big enough to place paper on, with a wooden frame attached that can open and close like this. The frame and platform are fastened with hinges, and the wooden frame holds a mesh screen. When printing, you put the paper on this platform, place the printing plate on top, lower and fix the frame, then apply ink over the mesh.”
“Oh. If it’s made of wood and mesh, maybe I can manage?”
Aside from the original plate and sandpaper, it’s not a very complicated structure, so I think Lutz could probably make the simplest one. The mesh frame is the only part I’m not confident about making myself.
“Lutz, is the artisan we asked to make the papermaking screen still okay to order from? Is the big papermaking screen for the Plant Paper Workshop finished?”
“...You’ll have to ask Master or Mark about that.”
“Shall we stop by and ask?”
We pointed at the Gilberta Trading Company, which was just coming into view, and entered together.
It seemed the work was almost done; some cleanup had begun in parts. We spotted Mark amid the busy but smooth activity.