Blog - Relief Printmaking

Etching presses aren’t just for printing etchings. They have a bed that is rolled between two rollers, the top of which is adjustable in height. This makes it great for printing from lots of different surfaces as the tension is customised for each print! Printing a linocut with an etching press is easy with a …

If you are completely new to linocut and would like help getting started, you are in the right place! Read on or scroll to the bottom to watch a video. Start with a piece of lino. There are several to choose from, from traditional Lino to Easy Carve to Softcut. You can learn more about …

Tangrams are a set of seven puzzle pieces all cut from one square. The pieces can be rearranged into lots of different designs, making them a great activity for children. We can make our own set of tangram stamps from a square of Mastercut or other stamp carving material, to be stamped onto paper or …

We have found Zest It Printmakers Washdown an incredibly useful addition to our studio. It’s designed to remove dried on acrylics and so far has got us out of a couple of scrapes. Here are a few ways to use it in your studio: Removing dried on water-based relief printing inks from rollers, blocks and …

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 …

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 …

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"