Short answers, pulled from the story.
The earliest known woodcut image emerged in China during the 5th century. This simple depiction of a Buddha predates the European adoption of the technique by nearly a millennium. The process began as a practical method for printing patterns on cloth before evolving to transfer text and images onto paper.
Etching is believed to have been invented by Daniel Hopfer of Augsburg, Germany. The first dated etching is attributed to Albrecht Dürer in 1515. This technique involved covering a metal plate with a waxy ground and drawing through it with a needle to expose the metal for acid biting.
Ludwig von Siegen invented the mezzotint process in 1609. He utilized a tool known as a rocker to roughen the surface of a copper plate evenly. This technique worked from dark to light and allowed for the creation of subtle gradations of tone previously impossible in engraving.
Alois Senefelder invented lithography in 1798. This technique is based on the chemical repulsion of oil and water rather than the physical carving of a matrix. The process utilized a porous surface, normally limestone, on which the artist drew with a greasy medium.
A monotype creates a single, one-of-a-kind print by drawing or painting on a smooth, non-absorbent surface. Unlike monoprinting, which produces unique impressions from a single matrix, monotypes involve the removal of most of the ink during the initial pressing. Subsequent reprintings, known as ghost prints, differ greatly from the first and are generally considered inferior.
The term Giclée was coined in 1991 by printmaker Jack Duganne Johnson. It refers to fine art prints that use pigment-based inks which remain dispersed or suspended in the liquid. These inks offer much longer permanence compared to dye-based inks and are now the standard for fine art prints.