What is the Japanese term for a single-color woodblock print?

The Japanese term for a single-color woodblock print is Sumizuri-e.

The word combines sumi, meaning black ink, with -zuri-e, meaning printed picture. Sumizuri-e traditionally uses black ink alone, producing a monochrome image through the contrast of ink and unprinted paper.

It belongs to the early development of Japanese woodblock printing. One famous early example is the Buddhist invocation printed for the One Million Pagodas, commissioned by Empress Shōtoku after the 764 Emi Rebellion. Sumizuri-e continued into the Edo period, when artists sometimes added hand-painted color to monochrome impressions.

A common mix-up is Benizuri-e, which uses red accents, and Tan-e, which uses orange-red pigment. Nishiki-e is different again: it refers to fully developed multicolor woodblock printing, especially the polychrome prints that became popular from the 1760s.