1. According to the carving method.
According to the different cutting methods of seal cutting knife, seal cutting can be divided into "scoring" and "cutting". Slotting is mainly to carve criss-cross lines and points on printed matter with a knife to form the required pattern; Cutting is to cut the required pattern on the printed matter with a knife. Seal cutting requires higher cutting skills of seal carvers, and the finished products have smoother lines and a strong sense of carving.
2. Classification according to seal cutting style
According to the style of seal cutting, seal cutting can be divided into official script, seal script and cursive script. Lishu style is an ancient font in seal cutting, which has the characteristics of simplicity, solemnity and elegance. Seal script is the most common font in seal cutting, characterized by smooth lines and deep charm; Cursive script is a variant of seal cutting, which is characterized by chaotic lines and freedom.
3. According to the material classification of printed materials
According to the different seal cutting materials, seal cutting can be divided into many types, such as "lithograph", "woodblock" and "bronze seal". Lithography is the most common printing material, made of limestone or gypsum, and its engraved seal has the characteristics of wear resistance, deformation resistance and good texture. Woodblock printing is made of wood, and its engraved seal has the characteristics of clear texture, horizontal and vertical; Copper seal is a printing material that engraves copper plate into the required pattern, and its engraved seal has the characteristics of high quality and high precision.
4. Classification according to the purpose of seal cutting
According to the different purposes of seal cutting, seal cutting can be divided into private seal, official seal, inscription, painting seal and many other types. A private seal is a personal seal, which is used for signature, identification, etc. The official seal is the seal of the organization, which is used to sign official documents, contracts, etc. Inscription is a common seal cutting work, which is used to inscribe the author's name and the name of the work on calligraphy and painting works. Painting and printing is to transform a painting into a seal, which has high artistic value.
To sum up, seal cutting can be classified from many angles, and each type has its own unique characteristics and applications. Seal cutting is not only an important part of China traditional culture, but also a unique art form.