荣宝斋的木板水印技艺是继承中国传统雕版印刷技艺的基础上发展起来的。荣宝斋研究木板水印始于1896年，起初只是印些诗笺、信笺供文人雅士来吟诗作赋使用。在20世纪30年代初，有人曾访寻这种笺纸，并委托荣宝斋复制了《北平笺谱》和《十竹斋笺谱》。在北京解放后，荣宝斋向高、尖、精方向发展木 板水印业务。由从前只能印制大不盈尺的信笺发展到印制大张巨幅画作。如齐白石的《墨虾》徐悲鸿的《奔马》。在这个时期，木板水印技艺已经达到酷似原作的水准，徐悲鸿、齐白石等大师多次亲临指导。1956年印制唐代周昉《簪花仕女图》，被毛主席选作国家礼品。目前，荣宝斋木板水印被许多国家博物馆所收藏。由于它的生产过程复杂，时间长，产量少，因此木板水印也被称为“次真迹一等”的艺术品。该项目06年已被首批列入国家级非物质文化遗产名录。

    木版水印的制作过程十分复杂，他包括勾、刻、印、裱四个步骤，每一步骤都需要大量的人力和时间完成。它是根据原作笔迹的粗细、曲直、枯润以及深浅浓淡变化进行分版勾摹，而后刻成若干块板，在对照原作由浅入深，依次叠印而成。木板水印画制品力求追肖和体现原作面貌及神韵，其所用纸、墨、色等原料均与原作相同。当年荣宝斋刻印了齐白石的《虾》后，把原作和复制品摆在一起请白石老人鉴别，他左看右看，好像都是从自己手下画成，最后只好摇头说：“看不出来，实在看不出来啊。”

    古代流传下来的书画精品，是中华民族的文化魁宝，他们是时代生活的历史记录，也是令人学习、鉴赏的教材，但也珍贵稀少而不再生，加之一些水火兵灾，多有破损，荣宝斋成功的复原了一批残段、陈旧的名画，让旧字画获得新的生命，就是说在一定程度上木板水印弥补了旧画的残损部分，更宜于揣摩、观赏。木板水印凭借简单的工具和手工创造千变万化的产品，看上去简单，但是它和画家一支画笔在手一样，可以创造出伟大的作品，现在还没有任何精密而复杂的机器可以代替，具有观赏价值和收藏价值。为了保证作品的价值，每幅作品都会限制印刷数量，并且每幅作品都需要作者本人或继承人统一才可以印制。完成木版水印作品所消耗时间往往不亚于画家创作，像之前印制过的《韩熙载夜宴图》共使用1667块版，印制了30套，耗时8年，目前在故宫博物院代替真品展览。这就是这种传统印刷方法所以可贵和人们酷爱的原因。

    木版水印的特点在于酷似原作，在印刷高度发展的今天，机器仍不能代替，所以和绘画、雕塑创作一样，成为一门独特的艺术。荣宝斋的木板水印在不造成任何环境污染的前提下，加工印制美术作品手工操作，不消耗电能等资源，一次雕版多次使用，符合循环经济的要求，在贯彻科学发展观、建设环境友好社会的时代，木板水印自然受到重视和推崇。除了各大博物馆收藏荣宝斋的木板水印，还纷纷用定作为馈赠国外朋友的礼品，显然这门技艺所生产的影响遍及世界许多国家。为什么说包括鲁迅和徐悲鸿先生在内，许多文艺大师对荣宝斋如此赞赏呢？除了他们对祖国的传统文化艺术怀着深厚的民族感情之外，还有就是木板水印的艺术效果无与伦比。木板水印所用的纸张、颜料都是与中国传统材料一致的。同时从事这一工作的人员，不仅经过长期的实践陶冶，而且经过许多专家讲授和指点，取得今天的成就，绝不是简单的话语能所说明的。荣宝斋的木板水印从50年代到今天发展的速度可以说达到了高峰，我们要更加努力工作，培养后继人才，为发展民族传统艺术和开展对外文化交流做出新的贡献。

    The watercolor woodblock printing of RongBaoZhai

    ——State Intangible Culture Heritages

    The technique of watercolor woodblock printing of RongBaoZhai has been developed by carrying out Chinese traditional woodblock printing. It was started to study it in 1896. At first it can only print writing paper or letters for writing poems. In the 1930’s, someone was once looking for this kind of writing paper, and RongBaoZhai specially published and printed “Collection of BeipPing Writing Paper” and “Collection of ShiZhuZhai Writing Paper”. After the liberation of Beijing, RongBaoZhai started to develop the technique to a higher level. It can print small-sized letters before and now it can print large-sized paintings as Qibaishi’s “inked shrimps” and Xubeihong’s “running horse”. At this period, the technique has reached exactly like the original works level. Xubeihong, Qibaishi and other masters come here to direct time after time, and RongBaoZhai had built the fine relationship with many masters. Now the museum of the world has collected RongBaoZhai’s woodblock printing. It is popular and it was called “the first rate copy of authentic work”. Now this project has listed one of the first batch of “State Intangible Culture Heritages” in 2006.

    The procedures are complicated, it includes tracing, carving, printing and mounting. Every step needs much time and many people to finish it, so it is very difficult. According to original painters’ brushstrokes and their thickness and thinness, straightness and curvness, the art workers do the tracing, carving, and printing. Then the paintings are to be reproduced with number woodblocks. It was required to be follow the nature of the original works. The materials as paper, ink and pigments should be the same to the original works. In those days, RongBaoZhai printed Qibaishi’s inked shrimps, they put together the copy and original works, invited Qibaishi to distinguish them, and he looked left and right as if from his hands printing, and finally he had to shake his head and said: I can not see out it. That is also proves that the woodblock printings had reached the high technique that the author can not distinguish the original works.

    The ancient painting is the Chinese treasure; they are not only a study, the teaching material, but also precious and not reproduced. Together with some fire and some disaster, RongBaoZhai successfully recover a batch of paintings. That is, a certain extent to make up the old picture’s damaged parts. The woodblock printing with simple tools and handmade create product looks simple but it is a brush in painters’ hand, can create a great work of art. In the highly developed printing today, there is no way complicated machine can replace. It has the appreciated value and collection value. In order to ensure the value of the wood, each printing will limit the number of printing, and every printing needs the author or the heir’s agreement can be printed. In fact, finishing the printing’s time as painter creation’s time, like before printed the “Hanxizai Evening Feast” is using 1667 woodblocks and only 30 sets for 8 years. Now it is exhibition instead of the original works in the Palace Museum.

    RongBaoZhai’s woodblock printing is a unique art. It can not cause any environment pollution premise, processly and manual operation can not consume the power resources. The woodblocks accord with the requirement of the circular economy. In implement the scientific concept of development society, it natural valued and respected. In addition to the museum, RongBaoZhai’s woodblock printing still as the gift to the foreigner friends, obviously this art has been influenced many countries of the world. Why some people so appreciate the woodblock printing. In addition to the country’s traditional sentiments, but also the art of its effect is unapproachable. The paper, ink, pigment are the same with traditional material. At the same time the people who produce the woodblock printing, they worked in RongBaoZhai when they are young, and now they have retired, and RongBaoZhai invited them to work twice, for we don’t want to the technique will be lost and we are training the successor to continue this art.