Beeswax casting, printing

After ink is evenly applied to the printing block, required number of copies is printed. The printing block is then taken apart when printing is finished, and the movable types are cleaned and placed back in their original position for use in printing another page. Because movable type printing goes through the process of typesetting, printing, and dismantling repeatedly, a printing block cannot be stored and used for reprints as with woodblock printing. Oil soot ink, which is made from the soot collected by burning vegetable oil, is used in movable metal type printing because it adheres well to metal surface.