Hua Sui

[4] Wang Zhen wrote in the book of the Nong Shu (1313 AD): In more recent times [late 13th century], type has also been made of tin by casting.

[5] Furthermore, a font of tin movable type was successfully employed by a Mr. Tong of Guangdong in the 19th century, who figured out how to make it more compatible with the inking process.

[6] Including the Zhu Chen Zou Yi, published 15 titles using metal type, in a span of about 20 years.

[8] Yet the sponsors of printing weren't all described as the works of simply the area's wealthiest local family, as the bronze-type books in Fujian province were developed by truly commercial enterprises.

Lu Shen (1477–1544 AD) once reported in the early 16th century that printers of Changzhou used bronze and lead movable type printing, which could have been separate materials or an alloy mixture of the two.

[10] Although the bronze characters were kept safe and deposited in the Wuying Palace, they were all melted down in 1744 in order to forge coin currency.

[10] The Manchu military officer Wu-Long-A printed a collection of imperial edicts while stationed in Taiwan in the year 1807.

[12] However, for traditional Chinese metal movable type printing, some records of the 18th century indicate that individual engraving and cutting was used as well.

[13] While creating new books using movable type, ink was applied to a plate and rubbed with paper as seen in woodblock printing.

[13] Then there was the process of assembling and setting the type, and ultimately distributing it, which necessitated at least a small level of division of labor.

Misprints, misalignment of characters, and uneven spacing are the distinct mark of many movable type editions from the time of Hua Sui.