Turn the piece of lino around as you're working so your hand holding it down is always behind your hand with the blade in it. If you’re making a reduction print, always start with a larger number of prints than you think you’ll need, because some of them will inevitably go wrong. Securing the Paper: Reserve some margin space on your paper for taping the edges, which can deter any potential shift during the process.

Use a Bench Hook: A bench hook is a tool that can help secure the lino block while you carve, preventing it from slipping. Backing Material: Consider placing a piece of non-slip material beneath your lino while printing, especially if not mounted on a board. If you’re using water-based inks, you’ll be able to remove the ink from your equipment using a little warm water and washing up liquid.The basic idea is to use a smooth surface and rub on the back of your paper, after the paper is laid onto the inked lino cut. Affiliate Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. Clean your linocut with soapy water; this is important, so it remains unblemished should you wish to use it again. Taking the time to ensure your design is accurately and clearly transferred can save you time and frustration in the carving stage.

This can highlight issues with ink consistency, carving depth, or paper quality, allowing for adjustments. All the prints for an edition have to be printed before you move on to the next color, because once the lino is recut you can't make any more. You attach some metal pins onto a board using strong parcel tape and stick some plastic tabs onto your paper. If you have pets, try to keep them away from the work area, as they can introduce both fur and dust. Lino Cutter and Five Blades Set includes five precision cutters in styles 1 to 5, and a sturdy lino cutter handle with an expandable collar for easy fitting and tightening.

This top quality lino handle is designed with an interchangeable head, which takes all twelve lino-cutting tools, five of which come within this set. Enter this excellent taster kit, which provides enough linocut tools and materials to get a feel for the craft while creating two unique prints. Great starter tool I wanted to learn basic lino cutting and carving so I decided to start with this basic tool. Now the first exercises are frankly not that interesting, yet to the beginner, some of the most important. Japanese paper is very popular with printmakers because it's not too thick and takes up the ink easily.