A relief printmaking technique that can be use to create inked areas. A block of wood is carved with a knife, chisel or gouging tool, creating a raised area (‘relief’). Ink is rolled onto the raised area which is then pressed onto paper or another surface, leaving the inked design behind. Woodcut is different from wood engraving: in woodcut, the design is carved into the softer grain of the wood and the printed design may reproduce some of its texture. A woodcut print can be made up of multiple colours, printed in layers. It is the oldest printmaking technique, first used in China in the 800s.