block copy artist
Historical term for a person who prepared the final copy (版下) for woodblock printing, writing text or drawing designs to be carved. Rare in modern contexts; now mainly encountered in discussions of traditional printing history.
In the Edo period, the block copy artist was an indispensable craftsman in the production of ukiyo-e prints.
Compound of 版下 (はんした, 'block copy') and 書き (かき, 'writing' or 'writer'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term clearly refers to the person who writes or draws the master copy for printing.