Ukiyo-e prints were the works of teams of artisans in several workshops; it was rare for designers to cut their own woodblocks.
 Labour was divided into four groups: the publisher, who commissioned, promoted, and distributed the prints; the artists, who provided the design image; the woodcarvers, who prepared the woodblocks for printing; and the printers, who made impressions of the woodblocks on paper.
 Normally only the names of the artist and publisher were credited on the finished print.

Ukiyo-e prints were impressed on hand-made paper manually, rather than by mechanical press as in the West.
 The artist provided an ink drawing on thin paper, which was pasted to a block of cherry wood and rubbed with oil until the upper layers of paper could be pulled away, leaving a translucent layer of paper that the block-cutter could use as a guide.
The block-cutter cut away the non-black areas of the image, leaving raised areas that were inked to leave an impression.
 The original drawing was destroyed in the process.

Prints were made with blocks face up so the printer could vary pressure for different effects, and watch as paper absorbed the water-based sumi ink, applied quickly in even horizontal strokes.
 Amongst the printer's tricks were embossing of the image, achieved by pressing an uninked woodblock on the paper to achieve effects, such as the textures of clothing patterns or fishing net.
 Other effects included burnishing by rubbing with agate to brighten colours; varnishing; overprinting; dusting with metal or mica; and sprays to imitate falling snow.

The ukiyo-e print was a commercial art form, and the publisher played an important role.
 Publishing was highly competitive; over a thousand publishers are known from throughout the period.
 The number peaked at around 250 in the 1840s and 1850s—200 in Edo alone—and slowly shrank following the opening of Japan until about 40 remained at the opening of the 20th century.
 The publishers owned the woodblocks and copyrights, and from the late 18th century enforced copyrights through the Picture Book and Print Publishers Guild.
 Prints that went through several pressings were particularly profitable, as the publisher could reuse the woodblocks without further payment to the artist or woodblock cutter.
 The woodblocks were also traded or sold to other publishers or pawnshops.
 Publishers were usually also vendors, and commonly sold each other's wares in their shops.
 In addition to the artist's seal, publishers marked the prints with their own seals—some a simple logo, others quite elaborate, incorporating an address or other information.

Print designers went through apprenticeship before being granted the right to produce prints of their own that they could sign with their own names.
 Young designers could be expected to cover part or all of the costs of cutting the woodblocks.
 As the artists gained fame publishers usually covered these costs, and artists could demand higher fees.

In pre-modern Japan, people could go by numerous names throughout their lives, their childhood yōmyō personal name different from their zokumyō name as an adult.
 An artist's name consisted of a gasei artist surname followed by an azana personal art name.
 The gasei was most frequently taken from the school the artist belonged to, such as Utagawa or Torii, and the azana normally took a Chinese character from the master's art name—for example, many students of Toyokuni (豊国) took the "kuni" (国) from his name, including Kunisada (国貞) and Kuniyoshi (国芳).
 The names artists signed to their works can be a source of confusion as they sometimes changed names through their careers;  Hokusai was an extreme case, using over a hundred names throughout his seventy-year career.

The prints were mass-marketed and by the mid-19th century total circulation of a print could run into the thousands.
 Retailers and travelling sellers promoted them at prices affordable to prosperous townspeople.
 In some cases the prints advertised kimono designs by the print artist.
 From the second half of the 17th century, prints were f
Ukiyo-e prints were the works of teams of artisans in several workshops; it was rare for designers to cut their own woodblocks.  Labour was divided into four groups: the publisher, who commissioned, promoted, and distributed the prints; the artists, who provided the design image; the woodcarvers, who prepared the woodblocks for printing; and the printers, who made impressions of the woodblocks on paper.  Normally only the names of the artist and publisher were credited on the finished print.
Ukiyo-e prints were impressed on hand-made paper manually, rather than by mechanical press as in the West.  The artist provided an ink drawing on thin paper, which was pasted to a block of cherry wood and rubbed with oil until the upper layers of paper could be pulled away, leaving a translucent layer of paper that the block-cutter could use as a guide. The block-cutter cut away the non-black areas of the image, leaving raised areas that were inked to leave an impression.  The original drawing was destroyed in the process.
Prints were made with blocks face up so the printer could vary pressure for different effects, and watch as paper absorbed the water-based sumi ink, applied quickly in even horizontal strokes.  Amongst the printer's tricks were embossing of the image, achieved by pressing an uninked woodblock on the paper to achieve effects, such as the textures of clothing patterns or fishing net.  Other effects included burnishing by rubbing with agate to brighten colours; varnishing; overprinting; dusting with metal or mica; and sprays to imitate falling snow.
The ukiyo-e print was a commercial art form, and the publisher played an important role.  Publishing was highly competitive; over a thousand publishers are known from throughout the period.  The number peaked at around 250 in the 1840s and 1850s—200 in Edo alone—and slowly shrank following the opening of Japan until about 40 remained at the opening of the 20th century.  The publishers owned the woodblocks and copyrights, and from the late 18th century enforced copyrights through the Picture Book and Print Publishers Guild.  Prints that went through several pressings were particularly profitable, as the publisher could reuse the woodblocks without further payment to the artist or woodblock cutter.  The woodblocks were also traded or sold to other publishers or pawnshops.  Publishers were usually also vendors, and commonly sold each other's wares in their shops.  In addition to the artist's seal, publishers marked the prints with their own seals—some a simple logo, others quite elaborate, incorporating an address or other information.
Print designers went through apprenticeship before being granted the right to produce prints of their own that they could sign with their own names.  Young designers could be expected to cover part or all of the costs of cutting the woodblocks.  As the artists gained fame publishers usually covered these costs, and artists could demand higher fees.
In pre-modern Japan, people could go by numerous names throughout their lives, their childhood yōmyō personal name different from their zokumyō name as an adult.  An artist's name consisted of a gasei artist surname followed by an azana personal art name.  The gasei was most frequently taken from the school the artist belonged to, such as Utagawa or Torii, and the azana normally took a Chinese character from the master's art name—for example, many students of Toyokuni (豊国) took the "kuni" (国) from his name, including Kunisada (国貞) and Kuniyoshi (国芳).  The names artists signed to their works can be a source of confusion as they sometimes changed names through their careers;  Hokusai was an extreme case, using over a hundred names throughout his seventy-year career.
The prints were mass-marketed and by the mid-19th century total circulation of a print could run into the thousands.  Retailers and travelling sellers promoted them at prices affordable to prosperous townspeople.  In some cases the prints advertised kimono designs by the print artist.  From the second half of the 17th century, prints were f
Ukiyo-e