From time to time someone asks what they would need to begin experimenting with relief printing.
I tried jotting down what I think is a good basic set of items you’ll need to begin your journey.
You’ll need:
*Linoleum
*Carving Tools
*Ink
*Brayers
*Glass slab
*Paper
*Wooden kitchen spoon
*Non-slip mat
*Slipstrop
-Linoleum
I suggest “battleship grey” with the hessian backing. There are softer, more flexible options out there, but I find them to be difficult to work with and challenging to pull detail off of. There are reasons to prefer it though, so feel free to give it a try
-Carving tools.
While you can definitely start out with a beginner set of tools like the Speedball brand you’ll see everywhere, if you intend to stick with it you might as well invest from the get go in something a little more quality. I typically use Namisei which I get through McClain’s Printmaking Supplies. I like the feel and you cut down the handle to your liking
Another option Pfeil is a popular Swiss brand with nice little bulb grip to fit your palm.
I would suggest beginning with a v-gouge, a u-gouge, and some type of flat shape to clear large areas of lino quickly
-Ink
You can begin with a straight up water based ink, but I strongly recommend against it because it’s just such a hassle. Besides, why learn one way of printing only to switch into oils and have to learn everything about them too only to never go back… I suggest beginning with the oil-based but water soluble inks. A great starting point is Cranfield Safewash inks.
-Brayers
A brayer is used to roll ink out on the slab and apply it to the carved block for transfer. Again, there are many options here, but this time for starters I would say to just buy a Speedball soft brayer to work with. You can research and experiment with other options later on.
-Glass slab
You’ll need something to roll your ink out on. A nice fairly thick piece of glass is best.
These are nice for home use because they can be cleaned with soap and water, but can be layered and stay open (dry time) on the ink plate and paper. They can be used for layering multiple colors including semi-transparent layers.
-Paper
Starting out you can practice on newsprint or copy paper. Once you’re ready to begin printing a real edition you can try out some different papers. I tend to use a Western paper rives lightweight (115gsm) just a preference of mine, but sometimes use Eastern papers like mulberry or kitakata paper for certain projects
-Wooden kitchen spoon
Unless or until you begin to print on press you can use a wooden kitchen spoon. You’ll ink the carved block, lay your paper down, then rub the back of the paper with the spoon to apply press and transfer the image. Just be sure to keep that paper in place!
Non-slip mat
Nothing much to say here. I use one of those kitchen drawer liners to keep my lino from slipping around while I carve.
-Slipstrop
A slipstrop can be bought or even homemade, but you’ll need one to help keep your tools sharp while carving. Every twenty minutes or so run your blades across the slipstrop then go back to carving.
Optional: wet stone
Carving with a dull tool is more dangerous than carving with a sharp tool. And besides, you want clean sharp carve lines so keep those tools in shape!
Sharpening tools can be a real pain, but just keep practicing.
Happy printing and… don’t give up!
