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Home What do I need to make Lino Prints?
WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE LINO PRINTS?

Lino Cutting is a print-making method where a design is cut into a sheet of lino or
vinyl, inked and can then be transferred to a suitable surface multiple times
allowing you to reproduce loads of hand-made prints of your own unique designs.
This is a particularly nice technique for creating cards!

Lino Printers and their Art

Want to try your hand at lino-cutting but don't know where to start? Here's the
Curtisward guide to what you need to make lino prints.

LINO

Linoleum has been used as a floor covering since the mid 19th century. Found to be
useful for making printing plates for repeated designs on wallpaper, it was first
embraced by Fine Art printmakers in the early 20th century as an alternative to
wood blocks and became very popular for artists, designers and students from the
1960s onwards. Traditional lino is quite a stiff, hard-surfaced sheet made from
linseed oil with a canvas mesh backing but new kids on the block include softer
materials such as rubber and vinyl.

Whilst the soft cut is easier to cut into, I find that the Traditional Lino lends
itself to achieving crisper edges and more precise cuts.

LINO CUTTING TOOLS

Lino Cutting Tools are blades of varying widths, depths and shapes that will make
grooves in lino or equivalent material. A selection of tools will usually be needed
to make a range of marks and the tools will either be a fixed blade option or an
option that provides a number of blades that slot into the one handle. With the
latter option, the blades have a crescent-shaped shaft that fits into a circular
groove in the handle and is a common option for the beginner.
As you become more proficient, may wish to invest in fixed blade tools which will,
generally, be of a better quality being made of a higher grade metal and a good,
solid construction.

PRINTING INK

Printing Inks for Lino Printing can be called Block Printing Inks or Relief Inks.
They can be water-based or solvent based and should be slow drying, thick and
viscous. Water-soluble Oil Paints can also be used.