Many printmaking processes require some serious expertise and equipment, but linoleum block printing, a type of relief printing also called Linocut, is among the easiest methods out there, even for a novice. Plus, a few relatively inexpensive supplies — available at most art or crafts stores — are all that's necessary to hand-print your own cards.
What You Need
Materials
Linoleum block or unmounted sheet which can be cut to size
Block printing ink
High-quality paper (cut to size) or pre-folded cards
Tracing Paper
Tools
Linoleum Carving Tool Set
Brayer (Ink Roller)
Baren (Optional, for rubbing the ink into the paper)
Flat plastic or glass tray for rolling out ink
Soft Pencils
Instructions
1.Trace or draw your design onto a piece of tracing paper using a soft pencil. If you are just starting out, keep in mind that a simpler design will be easier to cut — curves and small details are more difficult to cut than straight lines.
2. Turn the paper over and tape it to the linoleum block.
3. Rub the pencil over the back of the design, covering all lines thoroughly. The pencil will transfer to the linoleum block. The design will be reversed on the block, but will be correctly oriented when printed — this is especially important to keep in mind if you are working with type.
4. If the lines are faint, trace over the design again the block, either using a pencil or a thin sharpie.
5. Using the linoleum cutting tools, carve out the design from the block. Cut away all areas that will be negative space and leave the areas that will hold ink. It usually works best to use a thinner blade to outline the design and then switch to a wider blade to clear out the larger blank areas. Always cut away from yourself and keep your fingers out of the path of the blade. If you are having trouble cutting you can iron the linoleum at a very low setting for a few minutes or hold it under hot water to soften it.
6. Squeeze about quarter-sized amount of ink onto the plastic or glass tray.
7. Roll the ink with the brayer in different directions until it covers the brayer in a smooth, thin layer.
8. Roll the inked brayer over the linoleum block to cover the raised (positive) areas with ink.
9. Center a piece of paper over the inked block. Rub the paper with a baren, the palm of your hand, or roll over it with a clean brayer. This will transfer the ink to the paper.
10. To clean up, simply wash your brayer and block with warm water and mild soap if necessary and air dry. You can use the block multiple times.
Notes
• Experiment with different papers, some take ink more easily than others. Try a light-colored ink on a darker paper.
• To create a print with multiple colors, carve a different block for each color. The trickiest part is aligning the different colors correctly — called registration — when you print. This can be done by eye or you can use masking tape to mark out the position of the block and paper on your printing surface. It helps to print lighter colors first and darker colors on top so that any overlap will be less obvious.
Images: Sarah Rainwater
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love this process broken down so simply, makes me want to break out the print making supplies for sure!!
I remember doing this as an art project in school, back when they still let the kids play with sharps. I still have my block!
You can do the same thing on a smaller scale by carving an eraser. It's even easier and prints very well with an ink pad.
What a coincidence! I opened an etsy store yesterday selling linoleum block prints.
A couple of recommendations: if you are going to be printing a lot of cards or prints, mix a tiny blob of retarder in with your ink so it doesn't dry on your palate while you are trying to print.
You can also use the back of a wooden spoon to rub on the back of your paper to raise the ink from the block to your paper.
If your linoleum is really tough to cut, make sure it is warm (use an iron or sit on it like I do :) and it will be easier to cut.
Good luck!
I did my wedding invites as a linocut. For people worried about having enough control when they cut, there is also a product called "speedycut" that cuts like butter. You can find it at art stores. Also, I found adding a little retarder to the ink helped keep things fresh when printing a pile of invites.
Speedycut, y'all. Speaking from a couple years of doing lino-art, the linoleum takes a lot more pressure to cut (read: hand cramp and accidental slips into your design) and has to be rewarmed every five seconds. It's great for durability and sharp detail, but Speedycut is FUN and FAST and has the same output.
My two cents ;)
you can also use foam -such as re-cycled meat trays from the supermarket, you can even use a pencil to score your design- no knives at all! you can do it safely with children. Your print may not have the same quality, but it is quick and fun.
Lol, I am also in the process of preparing an etsy shop selling lino print cards! I got a lovely delivery of supplies the other day and was unashamedly excited to open the boxes (you'd never believe how hard it is to buy lino printing supplies in an actual shop where I am living in France)... got some fantastic German-made tools that I never came across in Ireland, they're Abig. I also love the new easycut lino but know it isn't available everywhere yet. Specialists Crafts in England do it, and it's heaven-sent (I was especially grateful for it when I was teaching cranky & hormonal teenagers in Dublin).
What fun! I always get inspired when I pop into AT.
We used to do this in elementary school and it was so much fun! I will add this to the list of crafts I wish I had time to do more of (along with knitting and sewing and a half dozen others).
We did several linoleum prints in my high school art class. My teacher ended up making artwork out of her thumb and had to have surgery...O_O
They're fun to do, but be careful!