Printed matter (i.e. printing blank) is the most basic material in seal cutting. Before the Song and Yuan Dynasties, gold, silver, copper, jade or aquatic products, rhinoceros horn, ivory, bamboo and so on were used as printing materials. It was not until the Yuan Dynasty that Wang Mian began to use Elaeagnus as a seal. Because of its delicate and moist texture and easy to be stabbed, Elaeagnus has become a common material for literati who are good at painting and calligraphy. In the Ming Dynasty, lithograph materials were widely used by Indians. Lithography is brittle and easy to be used, and different knife methods will produce richer artistic effects than other printed materials, so it is favored by seal engravers in past dynasties. Since then, lithographic printing has been used as the main material for carving and has continued to this day.

Qingtian stone, Shoushan stone and feldspar stone are the most common stones used in past dynasties, as well as Inner Mongolia stone and Northeast stone, which were recently introduced into the altar. Due to different producing areas, the texture, nature and color of Zhong Shiyin are different, each with its own characteristics. A gem seal is not only valuable in itself, but also has high artistic aesthetic value, so many people are collecting precious Yin Shi.

Qingtian stone is produced in qingtian county, Zhejiang Province, hence its name. Qingtian stone is exquisite, moist, easy to use, and full of knife interest. It is one of the favorite printing materials used by seal engravers. Qingtian stone is blue, yellow, reddish and blue-gray, among which light freezing, white freezing and loose freezing are more precious, and the above products are the most famous.

Leisure chapter refers to the seal other than the seal of name, study, official position and book. It evolved from the seal of auspicious words in Qin and Han Dynasties. In addition to carving auspicious words, poems, aphorisms and self-discipline words are often carved.

As for the cover method, do you want to cover it at the signature or in a shallow place to balance the picture!