Blog - Advice & Tips

Using Drawing Fluid and Screen Filler can create a semi-permanent design on a screen, allowing you to print multiples of your design without stencils, over several sessions if you like. This is not a photographic technique so there’s no need for a light source, a computer or a dark space. This makes it accessible to …

Caligo Inks are oil-based but water-washable so they are a fantastic option for your printmaking practice but how do we clean up after using them? Read on or scroll to the bottom of the page for a video. No solvents or special cleaners are needed to clean up Cranfield’s Caligo Inks. Fill an old jug …

When mixing Caligo Relief Printing Inks (although this also applies to other brands), we can choose between adding Extender or Opaque White when we want a paler colour. They produce quite different results. Watch our video at the bottom of the page or read on. Extender is a colourless ink. It will make colours more …

Cyanotypes (sometimes called blueprints or photograms) are made using a really old process that uses light to create designs on fabric and paper. Scroll to the bottom of the page to watch a video on the process or read on. We are going to need a cyanotype kit. The kit contains two bottles, each with …

Sometimes, when we use Ternes Burton pins and tabs, the tape sticks to the printing paper making a mess. We can choose to cut our paper a little longer so the excess can be trimmed but there’s another way that doesn’t waste paper! Watch the video below or read on. If you haven’t heard of …

When you’re carving a lino block it can be handy to be able to see how your block will print before you ink it up. By taking a rubbing of your block you can get an idea of what your final print might look like. Scroll to the bottom of the page for a video …

Like many others over the past year, I have been working on a lot of my printmaking projects at home. However, being limited on space doesn’t stop me from trying new things. In this blog post, I will be sharing how I exposed a screen at home in my tiny bedroom! You can adapt this …

Mirror Card is a great option for intaglio plate making. It's shiny and wipeable, making it brilliant for expressive inking and sketchy designs. Peel away the surface to create dark, inky areas too. Scroll to the ...

One of the problems to overcome when printing a linocut is ink being picked up by the carved away areas of the block. These lines print onto the paper causing 'chatter' or 'noise'. Sometimes chatter on a print can add character or interest to a piece but other times it can just get in the way. This method uses Ternes Burton Pins and Tabs and a piece of Mylar to mask the areas causing chatter. (scroll to the bottom of the page for a video)...

Sometimes when block printing, blocks can resist the ink and it splits on the surface. This makes it difficult to print a flat, even colour and can be so frustrating. This is particularly common on vinyl blocks when using water-based inks but can occur on lots of surfaces. Use this quick, easy technique to prepare … Continue reading "How to Fix Reticulating Ink when Relief Printing"

The ever-helpful Michael from Cranfield has some top tips for drying prints when working with oil-based inks. We’ve summarised some of his advice to help us with our own printmaking: When working with oil-based inks, the air in the room is very important in order for your prints to dry. The atmosphere should be warm … Continue reading "Drying Prints when Using Oil-Based Inks"

Choosing the right roller for your relief printing can get confusing. Different uses, budgets, sizes and preferences can dictate which roller is best for you. We’ve put together a guide to lino rollers to help you choose the best roller for you. There are several factors that decide how a roller will perform: There are … Continue reading "Relief Printing Rollers: A Comprehensive Guide"

Printmaking with metallics can add a real pop to your designs. There are a few different options to choose from when screen printing with metallics: pre-mixed metallic ink, metallic powder and textile foils. We’ve made this project using all three methods to show you the advantages of each one. We cut three paper stencils: one … Continue reading "Screen Printing Metallics: Ink, Powder or Foil?"

Mylar film is an extremely useful addition to your printmaking kit. It can be used to mask off areas when relief printing, as registration plastic for screen printing or even used to make stencils. In this project, we use mylar film to make a registration device and a mask for screen printing. Mylar film can … Continue reading "Setting up a Hinged Board for Screen Printing and Printing Using a Mylar Film Stencil"

We love printing with lino onto fabric – it can take your designs into loads of fun new places like t-shirts, homewares and bags! Back in 2016 we wrote a blog post about how to block print onto fabric and it’s still one of our most popular posts ever! Since then, we’re continued to refine … Continue reading "Lino Printing onto Fabric – Which Inks and Rollers to Use"

Enviromount is a brilliant paper-based drypoint surface. It can be scored with a sharp tool such as a drypoint needle, and the top surface can be peeled away. We were keen to try it out in the studio. A drypoint print is an intaglio technique in which lines are scratched into a plate, creating a … Continue reading "Drypoint with Enviromount"

When printing with intaglio methods (etching, drypoint, collagraph etc.), it’s important to print onto dampened paper. Imagine you’ve just inked up your plate, your paper is soaking in a tray of water or in a stack and it’s time to print. You wash your hands but there’s still a little inky grubbiness in your fingerprints … Continue reading "Make Your Own Paper Fingers"

Viscosity printing is a process that uses different viscosities (stickiness) of ink to enable you to ink up a plate with more than one colour – the different viscosities of ink will not mix. The foundations of this method can be used to create monotypes where a greasy medium can be used to resist ink. … Continue reading "Viscosity Monotype at Home"

Intaglio printmaking is a printmaking method using marks incised into a plate. Ink is worked into the recesses of the plate and is usually printed onto dampened paper through an etching press. Intaglio printmaking can create strong positive marks, interesting texture and tone – these results shouldn’t be missed out on if you don’t have … Continue reading "Printing Intaglio Without a Press: Tetra Pak Collagraph"

There are lots of different blocks available to make your own stamps. Unlike linocut blocks, stamp blocks are designed to be cut into smaller shaped pieces. We have tested four of our blocks to help you decide which is the best block for your project and budget:Pink Speedy Carve, white Mastercut, blue Speedy Carve Easy … Continue reading "Printing with Different Stamping Blocks"