Abstract: Calligraphy reproduction is an important material for learning and popularizing calligraphy. From manual copying in the ancient times to machine printing in our days,great differences between the original and its reproductions remain although the level of the latter has reached one “narrowly below the original.”Departing from a comparison between the ancient and modern copying methods,the author first analyzes the aesthetic differences between carved rubbings and printed pieces in four aspects,namely line thickness,ink color change,qi vein coherence and “thief light” appearance,before contending that it is these intangible changes that undermine the overall flavor of the calligraphy prints and thus perpetuating their quality as “below the original.”

Key words: original calligraphy work, reproduction, rubbing, print