Blog - Relief Printmaking

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 …

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"

This two-layered lino card is quick, easy and so effective on square kraft cards. Print or draw your design onto paper. Trace your design so that it is in reverse. Use a piece of red carbon paper to transfer the design onto a piece of lino. Carve out the unwanted areas of the design with …

This card is such a quick make and is so easy to print in large quantities with Versacraft ink pads. A pencil eraser is a resourceful and quick way to print the berries!  Draw the leaf shapes onto a piece of Mastercut or another stamping block. Use a lino tool to carve around the edges …

Stamping is one of the easiest ways to print at home. Use ready-made stamps or carve your own to create beautiful designs. We love these Delicata Metallic Ink Pads for printing onto paper. They come in Golden Glitz, Celestial Copper and Silvery Shimmer. All three print brilliantly onto both light and dark papers. Ink up … Continue reading "Delicata Metallic Ink Pads"

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"

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"

Schmincke Gloss Medium can be used to add a glossy finish to your prints. We tested the medium in a few different ways to see how the results that can be achieved. Gloss Medium can be added into Schmincke inks to produce a finish with a sheen that is more like an oil-based ink. Combining … Continue reading "Relief Printing with Schmincke Gloss Medium"

Making your own stamps is so satisfying. You can build up your own collection of personalised stamps for all of your projects and what’s more personalised that a portrait! These adorable portrait stamps are perfect for your arts business, signing cards and letters, scrapbooks or just for fun! Create a collection of stamps of your … Continue reading "Creating a Portrait Stamp"

Using an equilateral triangle stamp creates an easily repeatable pattern that builds quickly whilst breaking up the typical grid structure often found in repeat patterns. This project is quick, easy and versatile. It’s important to use an equilateral triangle so that the edges will match up perfectly each time – if the sides are not … Continue reading "Making a Triangular Stamped Repeat Pattern"

The ways in which we communicate with one another have changed recently and a lot of us are thinking about alternative ways to connect with friends and family. In this project, we show you how to design and print a stamp for the front of your envelopes to add something special to your snail mail … Continue reading "Designing and Printing an Envelope Stamp"

Your printmaking doesn’t have to be tethered to a studio or kitchen table. This project takes you outside to gather and enjoy the natural materials around you! Go for a walk around the garden, your road or even just your house and collect a few leaves with different shapes and textures. Use a tray or … Continue reading "Printing with Leaves"

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"

This is a really quick, easy and inexpensive way to change the look of your indoor potted plants. Create a streamlined paper cover printed with your own design. Read on for full instructions or scroll to the bottom for a video of the whole process. You will need a large piece of stiff paper or … Continue reading "Block Printed Plant Pot Cover"

The quest for a more eco-friendly, less wasteful Christmas is a great opportunity to get more creative about the way we wrap our presents. These pretty gift bags use up old newspapers – no non-recyclable wrapping needed. So raid your recycling bin and read through the instructions below. In order to make these bags Christmassy, … Continue reading "Handprinted Christmas Project: Holly’s Stamped Newspaper Gift Bags"

This gorgeous DIY bauble will look amazing hanging from any tree! Use ink and paper to match your favourite Christmassy colours. Jez has opted for gold ink on black paper. Here’s how to make it: Print out our bauble template onto A4 paper – it can be downloaded here. We use using black paper for … Continue reading "Handprinted Christmas Project: Jez’s Printed Bauble"

This is a fantastically quick way of printing a repeat pattern onto fabric. The block is so speedy to make, using a plastic inking plate and stick-back foam. We are using Permaset Aqua Metallic Textile Screen Printing Ink which works beautifully with a Textile Roller to print onto dark fabric. See the entire process in … Continue reading "Printing an Easy Repeat Pattern on Fabric with Permaset Metallic Ink"