An Introduction to Block Printing with Linoleum

The visually-rich language of printmaking takes many forms, from bold and expressive semi-abstract pieces, mixed media and collagraphy, silkscreen, to fine line etching and illustrative narratives. 

Printing to express ones ideas and feelings can be such a diverse medium where there is a play on manipulating images, and a tension between control and serendipity! Your choice of printing methods and processes, tools and techniques will certainly dictate your outcome.

If you have never tried Relief printmaking as an Art form,  printing with a  linoleum block is a great place to start. The process is incredibly simple from start to finish. Images and motifs can be hand drawn directly onto the lino or can be transferred onto the linoleum by tracing over a drawing or photocopied image and carbon paper. Using the right cutting tools made specifically for the job will also ensure a great end result.

Relief Printing

The raised up areas on the block are the areas that are inked and  printed. Removing the negative space around the shape will allow these areas to be printed onto cloth or paper; creating your design or image. This form of printing dates back to antiquity and was widely used in East Asia.

Woodblock/Woodcut Printing

Is considered one of the oldest types of relief printmaking, where a design is carved into a wooden block and printed onto fabric or paper. Several  wooden blocks or stamps of various sizes may be used for a single design or one block can be used multiple times!

Block Printing at Home

There are a multitude of ways to create a block for Relief printing other than just out of wood.   Blocks can be made out of linoleum, or styrofoam, rubber or even potatoes! Any block with cut out shapes or incised lines will stamp your design onto paper, cloth or other surfaces using a block printing ink.

Lino Printing

Linocuts are very similar to woodcuts, however cutting a pattern or design into linoleum is much, much easier! A subtractive cutting method is used with special cutting tools to take away the parts of linoleum where you want to leave the white of the paper or fabric, the raised parts that are left are inked! Removing the negative space around the shapes will allow these areas to be printed, creating your design or image. Once you have cut your design or motif you have a linocut that can reproduce the same image over and over again. Easy and fun printing technique for both children and adults.

Once your design is complete you ink your block/lino using a roller or brayer (small hand roller) for even coverage, it can then be pressed either by hand onto the fabric or paper, or printed by using a flatbed printing press.

Hand Printing Tips; What Paper Can I Print Onto?

Acid-Free Lighter-Weight Papers - 80–120gsm.

If you are going to use a lighter weight paper such as Japanese Rice papers, which are beautifully soft and light, you can carefully lay your paper on top of your lino block and use a roller, rolling in the same direction a couple of times or if using a Baren to burnish a print use in circular motions to transfer the ink from the lino block onto the paper.  It is a little more tricky using the lighter version papers as they can easily be creased and you need to use a lighter pressure when pressing down, but for that special piece of art it is worth the effort.

• Hahnemühle Sumi-e Pad - 20 Sheets - 80gsm - 24 x 32cm
• ARTdiscount 100gsm All Media Cartridge Paper - Packs of 250 sheets
  
  

Acid-Free Medium-Weight Papers - 120gsm–160gsm

If printing by hand, a clean roller can be used on the back of the lino block, pressing the lino block down onto your secured paper or secured fabric. When using this method you need to keep your block very still to avoid blurring. Working the roller in one direction will help you to keep the block still. Aim to keep the pressure even whilst pressing down. Any medium smooth paper can be used if you are pressing your inked block down onto your paper. A smooth paper will ensure your prints are crisp, rather than a textured paper.

• ARTdiscount Cartridge Paper Pack A1 - 25 Sheets
• ARTdiscount 160gsm All-Media Cartridge Paper Packs - (25 Sheets Per Pack)
• Fabriano Accademia Cartridge PAPER ROLL

Acid-Free Heavier-Weight Papers for Flatbed Press 180gsm–300gsm

Heavier papers may be used if you are using a flat bed printing press. A heavier or textured paper can be used, as the pressure of the rollers on the flat bed press will ensure your print and inked lino block have made good contact with each other, resulting in a strong printed image.

• Fabriano Accademia Cartridge PAPER ROLL
• Bockingford Watercolour Blocks 140lbs / 300gsm HOT PRESS

Printing Materials Available at ARTdiscount

Water-Based Block Printing Inks

 

Block/Lino Printing Inks - 300ml

These water-based inks are perfect for lino, potato and stick printing techniques, ensuring maximum working time whilst still maintaining excellent transfer properties.

FEATURES:

• Great lightfastness
• Special Water-based resoluble formulation
• Wheat and gluten free
• Comes in a 300ml bottle with flow control cap
• Vegan 
• Child friendly

Essdee Lino Ink for Block Printing - Fluorescent Inks - 300ml

Essdee water-based block printing inks are non-permanent and available in a wide variety of colours. They are formulated to give a smooth flow resulting in excellent coverage and printing properties. The colours are designed to give maximum working time whilst still maintaining excellent transfer properties. Works well on all grades of paper leaving a smooth finish. Perfect for all kinds of block printing, available in 300ml tubes.

Rollers and ink trays can be easily cleaned with water and a small amount of washing-up detergent. Be sure to shake the tubes well before squeezing out the pigment, as the pigment may separate from the binder and requires thorough agitation.

 

Essdee Lino Ink for Block Printing - Pearlescent Inks - 300ml

Essdee water-based block printing inks are non-permanent and available in a wide variety of colours. They are formulated to give a smooth flow resulting in excellent coverage and printing properties. The colours are designed to give maximum working time whilst still maintaining excellent transfer properties. Works well on all grades of paper leaving a smooth finish. Perfect for all kinds of block printing, available in 300ml tubes.

Rollers and ink trays can be easily cleaned with water and a small amount of washing-up detergent. Be sure to shake the tubes well before squeezing out the pigment, as the pigment may separate from the binder and requires thorough agitation.

 

Premium Quality Block Printing Ink - 100ml

Essdee premium block printing ink is a high quality water-based ink made with specialist ingredients for smooth, vibrant prints.

This  non-permanent ink has enhanced tack and excellent transfer properties, with a perfectly balanced working and drying time making it easy to use and clean up.

Essdee premium block printing ink prints well onto all grades of paper and card, and can be intermixed to create a full pallet of colours, tints, tones and shades. 

Essdee Lino Ink for Block Printing - Metallic Inks - 300ml

Essdee water-based block printing inks are non-permanent and available in a wide variety of colours. They are formulated to give a smooth flow resulting in excellent coverage and printing properties. The colours are designed to give maximum working time whilst still maintaining excellent transfer properties. Works well on all grades of paper leaving a smooth finish. Perfect for all kinds of block printing, available in 300ml tubes.

Rollers and ink trays can be easily cleaned with water and a small amount of washing-up detergent. Be sure to shake the tubes well before squeezing out the pigment, as the pigment may separate from the binder and requires thorough agitation.

 

Essdee Lino Ink for Block Printing - Colours - 300ml

Essdee Water-Based Block Printing Inks are non-permanent and available in a wide variety of colours. They are formulated to give a smooth flow resulting in excellent coverage and printing properties.

The colours are designed to give maximum working time whilst still maintaining excellent transfer properties. Works well on all grades of paper leaving a smooth finish. Perfect for all kinds of block printing, available in 300ml tubes.

Rollers and ink trays can be easily cleaned with water and a small amount of washing-up detergent. Be sure to shake the tubes well before squeezing out the pigment, as the pigment may separate from the binder and requires thorough agitation.

 

Lino Blocks and Cutting tools

Lino Blocks

A selection of lino carving blocks available in 4 sizes. Excellent value and easy to cut up for smaller projects.

Softcut Natural Lino Block (Individual Block) - 3mm thick

Softcut Natural Lino Block, the new material for use in block cutting and printing.

Softcut is the new material for use in block cutting and printing. The super-smooth surface makes cutting so easy, the cutter just glides through with minimum effort. It has a matt side and a gloss side and can be cut on either. The near white surface allows you to draw and clearly see your design before you start cutting. The finished block can be displayed as a work of art in its own right.

        

• RGM Professional Lino Cutting Chisels

These tools are highly regarded in the field of engraving for linoleum and wood.

These chisels are considered to be excellent in the field of engraving for linoleum and wood. Through the use of high quality materials with excellent sharpness of the blade and a solid grip of the handle, this RGM tool allows a 'careful precision in engraving facilitating the manual and safety in processing.

Features: tempered steel blade and manually sharpened. The particular "bent" form of the blade facilitates the carving allowing  greater precision. The strong grip of the handle gives more manual support during carving,  maintaining security in the process.

Strengths: produced by RGM with high quality materials, great sharpening blade with a particular "bent" form of the blade that facilitates the carving. Secure grip on the handle is indicated for use in the education and professional used elegant packaging with window and euro hole for exposure

RGM-L-332: 8cm in length, 10mm wide at base, 8mm wide at tip.  This blade is a flat chisel

RGM-L-337: 8cm in length, 10mm wide at base, 4mm wide at tip

RGM-L-338: 8cm in length, 10mm wide at base, 5mm wide at tip

RGM-L-342: 8cm in length, 10mm wide at base, 5mm wide at tip

 

 Brayer and Rollers

Traditionally Brayers are small or large rollers used in the printmaking process.   They allow inks or paint to be thinly applied to a substrate or printing block. Rollers are commonly made out of rubber or a synthetic substitute and come in a range of sizes and stiffnesses. A softer roller provides more flexibility and coverage on uneven surfaces, whilst a harder roller works best for inking fine details.  They also have several uses within an Art and Design studio, for example a useful tool for bookbinding, or useful for applying watercolour paintings onto a cradled panel, or for spreading acrylic paint or glue to large areas, laying down base colours for abstract paintings or for embossing and burnishing, and much more...

Essdee Lino Rollers;  2.5”, 4”, 6”.

The Essdee Ink Roller is a strong, sturdy and versatile hard-rubber ink roller ideal for printmaking. Features a perfect machine ground 70 shore EPDM rubber roller, with an aluminium core, self-lubricating nylon bearings, a continuous steel shaft and rigid steel brackets making this a tough and dependable tool. The unbreakable polypropylene handle features a useful hanging slot and doubles as a stand when turned over for clean working when printing. Can be used with both water and oil-based inks and is strong enough to be used for industrial purposes like the application of window films and vehicle graphics. 

 

Essdee Professional Ink Roller (Black Handle) - 15cm

This professional roller has a perfectly smooth, machine-ground surface with a 122mm (4.5") circumference which can hold a greater quantity of ink allowing greater coverage and a perfect result every time. The fully concentric EPDM rubber surface is a medium hard 60 shore and gives excellent pickup and deposit of all types of ink. Perfect for printmaking with a variety of different materials, scrapbooking, stamping, laminating and even the application of films. The roller is designed so that it can be turned over when wet with the handle doubling as a stand for cleaner working or hung up to dry with its handy hanging slot. Suitable for use with both water based and oil based ink, and also resistant to solvents.

Inking Trays

Selecting the right surface for your inking tray is a key first step in many printing or stamping projects. The primary rule is simple: anything can become your inking tray, provided it is not intended for or currently used for food contact. This is a crucial safety and hygiene point.

To achieve a consistent, even layer of ink—which is essential for a clean print—you need a surface that is as flat and smooth as possible. Here are several excellent, readily available options and tips for their preparation: Suitable Inking Surfaces

 

The Importance of Flatness

Regardless of which option you choose, the mantra remains: the flatter the better. A surface that is warped, bent, or heavily textured will lead to an uneven ink application on your brayer or stamp. This results in patchy prints and wasted ink. When selecting your surface, lay it on a table and press down on the corners to ensure it rests completely flat and stable.

Lino Cutting Bench Hook and hand Guards

Lino Cutting Bench Hook

Lino Cutting Bench Hook 300 x 200mm

Keep your lino work steady with these sturdy lino cutting bench hooks. Simply place the cutting bench on the edge of your desk or work surface for tidy, safe working. Bench hooks are ideal for schools and colleges, and also provide protection for desks and work surfaces.

Essdee Fabric Lino Printing Kit

The Essdee Fabric Lino Printing Kit includes all the essential lino cutting tools and materials you need to create your own designs and print them onto fabric.

The MasterCut carving blocks, lino cutters, fabric printing ink and unique fabric roller have all been selected or designed specially to make block printing onto fabric a fun, creative and successful activity that anybody can enjoy.

Set Contents:

1x Essdee water-based Fabric Block Printing Ink – 100ml
3x Sheets of Essdee MasterCut Lino 1 @ 150x100mm 2 @ 100x100mm
2x Essdee Lino cutters: No1 and No4
1x Essdee Lino handle with aluminium ferrule
1x Essdee Fabric Printing Roller: 100mm wide
1x Ink Tray: 240x200mm
1x Instruction Book
1x Printing Blanket