Master print production around 1500 was a revolutionary period in the history of art and communication, marked by the rise of printmaking techniques that allowed artists and craftsmen to produce multiple copies of artworks and texts. The primary methods of printmaking during this time were woodcut and engraving. Woodcut involved carving an image in relief on a wooden block, which was then inked and pressed onto paper. This technique was commonly used for illustrations in books and religious images as it allowed for relatively quick and economical reproduction. Engraving, emerging slightly later, involved incising a design onto a metal plate (usually copper), which was then inked and wiped clean so the ink remained only in the incised lines; paper was pressed onto the plate to produce prints with fine detail and tonal variation. The invention of the movable type printing press by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440 played a crucial role by dramatically increasing the distribution and production of printed materials, including both text and images. By 1500, printing presses were widespread across Europe, facilitating the spread of knowledge and artistic styles. This enabled artists such as Albrecht Dürer to achieve international fame through their prints, which were among the most important means to disseminate High Renaissance artistic styles across Europe. Printing illustrations with woodcuts and copper engravings allowed for the faithful reproduction of artworks and scientific diagrams, enhancing both artistic and scholarly communication. Master print production was not only a technical achievement but also an economic and cultural phenomenon. Printmakers functioned as entrepreneurs, mass-producing prints that could reach a broad audience, unlike paintings that remained unique and exclusive. Early master prints, often called "old master prints," were highly prized and collected as fine art, and printmaking became an essential media bridging local artistic traditions and the wider European cultural exchange. This print culture laid the groundwork for modern mass media and visual reproduction, changing the landscape of art, knowledge, and communication during the early modern period.