Written Book - Minecraft Wiki - Fandom

Written Book

Rarity

Common

Renewable

Yes

Stackable

Yes (16)

A written book is an item created after a book and quill is signed.

Contents

• 1 Obtaining
  • 1.1 Signing a book and quill
  • 1.2 Copying
• 2 Usage
  • 2.1 Lecterns
  • 2.2 Chiseled bookshelf
• 3 Sounds
• 4 Data values
  • 4.1 ID
  • 4.2 Item data
• 5 History
• 6 Issues
• 7 Trivia
• 8 Gallery
• 9 See also

Obtaining[]

Signing a book and quill[]

Written books can be obtained by signing a book and quill. After it has been signed, it cannot be edited again. The label does not say "Written Book", but whatever the player titles it. The title appears on the top line of the label, and "by <player>" (the player's username) on the bottom. In Bedrock Edition, this is customizable without commands.

Copying[]

Ingredients	Crafting recipe	Description
Book and Quill +Written Book	2345678	The input written book is not consumed.The new copies are "Copy of Original" or "Copy of Copy", depending on whether the input written book is "Original" or "Copy of Original".Copies of copies cannot be copied.Copied books of the same generation ("Original", "Copy of Original", "Copy of Copy", or "Tattered") stack.

Usage[]

Written books can be opened by right-clicking (or holding down on the screen in Bedrock Edition), and display a GUI allowing the player to read it or turn the page.

The contents of a book are an extra set of data attached to the item. This means that when a book is destroyed, its contents are lost with it.

Lecterns[]

One can place a written book on an empty lectern.

The lectern then emits a redstone signal depending on the displayed page in the book. On the last page, the lectern emits a signal strength of 15.

Chiseled bookshelf[]

Using the chiseled bookshelf while having a written book in the main hand will put the book inside the chiseled bookshelf.

Sounds[]

Java Edition:

Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuationdistance
	Page rustles	Master Volume	When the page of a book is turned	item.book.page_turn	subtitles.item.book.page_turn	2.0	1.0	16
	Page rustles	Blocks	When the page of a book is turned on a lectern	item.book.page_turn	subtitles.item.book.page_turn	2.0	0.9-1.0	16
	Book thumps	Blocks	When a book is placed on a lectern	item.book.put	subtitles.item.book.put	1.0	1.0	16
	Book placed	Blocks	When a written book is placed in a chiseled bookshelf	block.chiseled_bookshelf.insert	subtitles.chiseled_bookshelf.insert	0.8	varies [sound 1]	16
	Book taken	Blocks	When a written book is removed from a chiseled bookshelf	block.chiseled_bookshelf.pickup	subtitles.chiseled_bookshelf.take	0.8	varies [sound 2]	16

1. ↑ Can be 1.0, 0.85, or 1.1 for each sound
2. ↑ Can be 1.0, 0.8, or 1.1 for each sound

Bedrock Edition:

Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Sound	When the page of a book is turned	item.book.page_turn	2.0	1.0
	Blocks	When a book is placed on a lectern	item.book.put	4.8	1.0
	Blocks	When a written book is placed in a chiseled bookshelf	insert.chiseled_bookshelf	0.8	varies [sound 1]
	Blocks	When a written book is removed from a chiseled bookshelf	pickup.chiseled_bookshelf	0.8	varies [sound 2]

1. ↑ Can be 1.0, 0.85, or 1.1 for each sound
2. ↑ Can be 1.0, 0.8, or 1.1 for each sound

Data values[]

ID[]

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Item tags	Translation key
Written Book	written_book	Item	bookshelf_books lectern_books	item.minecraft.written_book

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item tags (JE)	Translation key
Written Book	written_book	511	Item	minecraft:bookshelf_books minecraft:lectern_books	item.written_book.name

Item data[]

Java Edition:

Main article: Player.dat format

•  tag: The item's tag tag.

• •  filtered_pages: [needs testing]
  •  filtered_title: [needs testing]
  •  resolved: Optional. Created and set to 1 when the book (or a book from the stack) is opened for the first time after being created. Used to determine whether to resolve advanced components within JSON, because their values become fixed at that point.
  •  generation: Optional. The copy tier of the book. 0 = original, 1 = copy of original, 2 = copy of copy, 3 = tattered. If the value is greater than 1, the book cannot be copied. Does not exist for original books. If this tag is missing, it is assumed the book is an original. 'Tattered' is unused in normal gameplay, and functions identically to the 'copy of copy' tier.
  •  author: The author of the written book.
  •  title: The title of the written book. Lower priority than the item name set by tag.display.Name. Can not be used to open locked containers.
  •  pages: The list of pages in the book.
    • : A single page in the book. Each page is a serialized JSON text.

Bedrock Edition:

See Bedrock Edition level format/Item format.

History[]

Java Edition
1.3.1		12w17a			Added written books.
		12w21a			Written books can now be sold to librarian villagers, at 1 written book for 1 emerald.
1.7.2		13w36a			Written books can now be cloned the same way maps can, but by using books and quills instead of Empty Maps. Multiple copies of the same written book can be cloned by putting more book and quills in the crafting grid.
					Written books can now be stacked (up to 16 per stack).
1.8		14w02a			Trading has been changed: librarian villagers now buy 2 written books for 1 emerald.
		14w05a			Copying written books now mark them as "Copy of Original" or "Copy of Copy". The copying status of a book is denoted in a separate line in the tooltip, beneath the author's name. Copies of copies cannot be copied.
1.9		15w33c			A written book titled "Work in Progress" now generates within a hopper as a part of the end ship in the end cities. It reads: "We will have something else here soon..." and is signed by Searge.
		15w41a			End ships no longer contain a written book.
1.13		17w47a			Prior to The Flattening, this item's numeral ID was 387.
1.14		18w43a			The texture of written books has been changed.
		19w02a			Written books can now be held on lecterns.
		19w11a			Librarian villagers no longer buy written books.
1.20(Experimental)		22w42a			Written books can now interact with chiseled bookshelves.
Bedrock Edition
1.2.0		beta 1.2.0.2			Added written books.
1.10.0		beta 1.10.0.3			The texture of written books has been changed.
					Written books can now be held on lecterns.
Legacy Console Edition
TU25	CU14	1.17	Patch 1	Added written books.
PlayStation 4 Edition
1.90					The texture of written books has been changed.

Issues[]

Issues relating to "Written Book" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Trivia[]

• When written books are obtained with commands (without the correct data tag), the label shows "Written Book" and has the text "*Invalid book tag*" when opened. The book is signed and cannot be edited without commands.
• Commands that were added to a written book using serialized JSON objects are executed through the chat system. This means that any command added to a written book can't be longer than 256 characters, which is the maximum chat line limit.
• During the 2020 April Fools Update Java Edition 20w14∞, throwing a written book into a lit nether portal would create a portal to one of the 2,147,483,645 new dimensions.

Gallery[]

• A signed book.
• Copying a signed book.
• Different types of characters can be used to simulate a different font.
• First image of a book using JSON text.
• A no NBT written book using commands.
• Java Edition book background texture.
• Bedrock Edition book background texture.
• Java Edition left arrow texture.
• Java Edition right arrow texture.
• Bedrock Edition left arrow texture.
• Bedrock Edition Right arrow texture.

See also[]

• Book
• Bookshelf
• Book and Quill

Items 

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