Blog - Relief Printmaking

There is something really compelling about miniature objects. A miniature print sounds just too good to be true. Don’t worry about carving tiny detail – this project will shrink it down for you! Start with a sheet of Shrink Art Plastic – we’re using white. Cut out your desired shape with scissors or using a … Continue reading "Printed Shrink Plastic Keyring"

One of the hardest things to do when printing a relief block (lino, vinyl or wood) is to print solid blocks of colour.  There are quite a few choices to make and if you get these right then your printing will be much easier.  Ink – an oil based ink will print better than a …

I (Shirley) have been on a trip to Tokyo to attend a five day Mokuhanga course (Japanese Woodblock) and to meet with a few of our suppliers. I have never been anywhere like Tokyo before so it was an experience on lots of different levels. I have been lucky enough to attend a couple of … Continue reading "Mokuhanga in Tokyo!"

The Xcut Xpress is traditionally used as a die cutting machine but has found a whole new life as a printing press! This small scale machine is portable, affordable and can produce amazing quality prints. We used our Xcut Xpress with Extended Print Bed and Felt to produce a linocut, a drypoint etching and a …

This project uses just one block of Easy Carve to create a two colour block print on fabric. This is an adaptable technique that will have you printing yardage in no time! Start by drawing your design out onto a piece of Easy Carve. Try using a pencil to map out your image and then …

Here at Handprinted we are always getting asked to explain the difference between all the lino relief blocks available. It can be very confusing knowing whether to choose traditional lino or try an alternative such as Softcut or Vinyl. To help you decide on the right material for you, we’ve tested five different blocks in … "

Printing your own wrapping paper is an easy way to add a personal touch to presents. We know you’re all really busy this time of year so we’ve got four quick ways of creating lovely wrapping papers. Why not get children involved too? Thermofax Printing Start with a black pen drawing or image. Have a …

Chine Collé is a technique that allows you to add colour to your prints without making another block. Using Chine Collé you are able to print on much finer, more delicate papers which are bonded onto a more sturdy paper during the printing process. Japanese papers are often used but you can try tissue papers, …

Block Printing Medium transforms acrylic paints into usable block printing inks. Simply mix the medium with your paints and roll onto your block! Here’s how: Mix your Block Printing Medium with acrylic paint in a ratio of 3:2. If you want to print in a specific colour, mix your acrylic colour first and …

This project is a quick and easy way to get stuck into printing. It’s brilliant for children and just as good for grown-ups too! If you’re stuck in a rut with your printmaking, try this quick project to reignite your imagination and get those creative (vegetable) juices flowing. Raid the fridge for a selection of …

As soon as we received our first batch of printmaking vinyl we were keen to start gouging into it. This vinyl cuts beautifully and smoothly and can achieve very fine detail. There is a blue side and a green side, both of which can be used for carving. The centre of the vinyl is black …

Indian Blocks come in a wide variety of designs perfect for printing onto fabric and paper. It can be a bit tricky to achieve an even, bold print on fabric so here’s our method of printing with these blocks! Handprinted Fabric Paints are perfect for printing these blocks onto fabric. We’ve scooped out a little …

This week we wanted to test a technique for transferring an image onto lino using a printed image and an iron. It worked surprisingly well and was very quick and easy. Here’s how we did it: Your image needs to be printed either through a laser printer or a photocopier (inkjet printers will not work). …

We wanted to show you a really simple example of how to use the Turns Burton pins and tabs and how they can be used to register block prints with effortless accuracy. We’ve whipped up a quick reduction print and a multi-block to …

We get a lot of questions about the best way to lino print onto fabric. Which ink should I use? Should I use a roller? Will it be washable? Will it change the handle of the fabric? These are all questions to which we wanted to know the answers – not just for all of …

Printing onto fabric is one of our specialties here at Handprinted. We like to come up with easy ways in which fabric can be printed in a small space at home with minimal mess and equipment. One such way we have been playing with recently is printing using a square piece of lino. From …

Safeprint is a thin piece of polystyrene block that is a quick and easy way of making a relief print. You don’t need lino tools to carve it, just a pencil! For this reason, it’s brilliant to use with children and in schools. If you haven’t tried it before, give it a go – it’s …

This is an easy method for two colour block printing on fabric that doesn’t require a computer at all so grab your pencil case and have a go: ...

If you’re a lover of relief printing (or would like to be) but squeezing little prints through a press isn’t your thing, here’s an idea for block printing that’s a little different: We recently got hold of a couple of lovely old chairs that were in need of a little TLC. We’re using a piece …

There is so much that you can do with Versacraft Ink Pads. You can use them to print on paper, shrink plastic, polymer clay, wood, porcelain, leather and fabric. Our latest project for these versatile ink pads is colour blending. Here’s how we used Mastercut andVersacraft to make a printed tea towel: Start by drawing …