Printed maps first appeared in Europe in the late-15th century, an advancement over hand-copying that eliminated the introduction of errors during replication and made maps more widely available. To produce a woodcut map, a cartographer’s manuscript was copied in reverse onto the surface of a plank. Specialist woodcarvers then chiseled away the non-printed areas. The resulting woodblock could be inked and printed together with typeset text using the letterpresses developed during this era, which employed direct, vertical pressure to transfer ink to paper. The woodcut technique, however, did not lend itself to the fine, curved lines particularly needed for place names, or the inevitable amendments required in a rapidly changing world.