I had one of those happy printmaking accidents in the studio this week that I thought I’d share in case someone else finds it useful. Recently, I was using Con-Tact paper and had been saving the backing paper that gets peeled and thrown away. If you don’t know what Con-Tact paper is, it’s that self-adhesive paper that comes in rolls and people use it to line the bottom of drawers and shelves.

Registering multiple linoleum blocks on the back of Con-Tact paper

I’m working on a series of lino prints that requires registering many different linoleum blocks at one time. It occurred to me that the backing paper had a nifty grid printed on it and it might be helpful for lining up my blocks. So, I took a big piece and taped it to my press bed using painters tape. The grid is broken down into 1/4 inch squares.

Linocut Registration Using Gridded Paper

In the example in these photos, I lined up my printmaking paper with the grid lines inside the green tape and lined up my inked lino blocks within the thinner, white masking tape. This ensured at least a one inch margin around my linocut print.

An extra benefit of the paper is that it has a somewhat glossy finish, which is nice when working with messy ink.

The gridded paper I was using is from an 18 inch x 9 foot roll of white Con-Tact paper. Specifically, it’s Con-Tact brand adhesive Creative Covering paper - the solid white version. I happen to have it in other patterns (not white) and the grid on those is slightly different, not quite as useful, and has larger squares.

If you have any questions, just let me know!

The lino printing process can be frustrating when things don’t go according to plan - it happens to all of us. I have a few easy tips to help you get that perfect print.

1. If you notice ink in some of your narrowly carved lines, and these details don’t print clearly, try inking with thinner layers of ink. Roll it on your linoleum block in several thin layers instead of one thick application of ink.

2. Before you peel your paper fully back from your printed block, carefully peek and check to see if there are areas that need more pressure. Go back and use a little more force on these specific areas, perhaps with the back of a spoon. If you notice a light spot, you might even be able to use a small brayer to roll a little bit of ink on the lino block where you don’t quite have enough. Then, you can reveal your whole print.

3. Are you trying to print on heavyweight paper with a baren or spoon? If so, try a lightweight paper, which will give you consistently better print results with less effort. I also have a separate blog post all about choosing a good paper when printing by hand.

Inking a Lino Block with a Brayer

I recently finished a large lino print using my Conrad monotype press. It was the first big linocut I made on it. The linoleum cut print was made using the jigsaw method - a great way to make multi-color prints. Essentially, with this technique you cut your linoleum block into pieces, which are then inked separately, and put back together (like a jigsaw) before printing.

First layer of an assembled jigsaw linocut.

Here are some tips that I’ve learned when making jigsaw lino prints with unmounted linoleum:

• Starting with a whole piece of linoleum, I usually first deeply carve the outline of the jigsaw pieces with a v-gouge.

• If I’m not trying to be too exact, I might use some good sissors to cut out the shapes. If I want more precise cuts, I use a wood carving or X-Acto knife.

• Trim any stray bits of burlap that overhang the edges.

• Ink the lino pieces separately before assembling them into a whole.

• Draw an outline of the assembled jigsaw on a piece of newsprint. In other words, if it’s a 11”x14” print, I’d draw an 11”x14” rectangle on newsprint. This gets placed underneath the inked jigsaw pieces so when you go to place the inked blocks down to print, you know they all need to fit within this outline.

On the pink section of my new 30”x 24” linocut print in the photo, I did a reduction and printed a second pattern on top. This is the final linoleum cut print.

Finished jigsaw linocut print

One of the challenges when making a linocut is not getting ink in the negative space of your design - assuming you don’t want it there. The negative space is the carved away area of your linoleum block that you don’t want printed. For example, perhaps you want a nice, clean background to your linocut.

A number of students in my beginner’s linocut course have asked about this issue. There’re several ways to help solve this common problem.

First and foremost, run your fingertip in the cleared negative space (the space you don’t want printed) and feel for high spots. See if you can carve down a little more of the negative space with a “U” gouge, like in this video. Use the widest tool you have at your disposal. This helps with unwanted embossing of the paper, too.

Carving away the linoleum block’s negative space with a “U” gouge.

Here are some other tips:

• If I really want a pristine background, I will methodically wipe away any unwanted traces of ink with a rag or Q-tip (cotton swab) before printing.

• Use the narrowest brayer possible to better control where the ink ends up.

• You can block off the negative space with a small piece of paper, cardstock or tape while inking the rest of the lino block.

• Take scraps of linoleum and run them along the side of your block when inking it up. This will help keep the brayer from dipping down into the low areas of your block.

• Cut a basic stencil in the shape of your image out of a scrap piece of paper. Place your stencil over the block before inking. This will help keep ink off outside areas.

• If you’re printing with a press, keep in mind that press blankets can push the paper into areas you don't want printed or embossed. I put a thin sheet of MDF wood on top of my paper before putting just one press blanket on top of that.

I’m excited to have a follow up to my How to Linocut online course for beginners, it’s an intermediate class all about reduction printmaking! In the class, I walk students through the step-by-step process of making a reduction linocut print. I also show how to make a registration jig. If you want a little background on this printmaking process, check out my reduction printing page.

Example Linocut Print from the Reduction Printing Course

I’ve used the reduction printing technique for many years, making prints like this linocut called Solitude II. Here’s a short trailer for the course.

By the end of this class, through practice, you'll be on your way to creating your own reduction prints. Here’s a kind testimonial from a student in the course:

“I really enjoyed this course. The presentation was clear, concise and well thought out. Thank you so much!”

— Kathryn, How to Make a Reduction Print Student (2018)

From time to time, people ask if I offer linocut workshops and I'm thrilled to now offer an option. I have an online block printing course for beginners and those who want a refresher on the fundamentals, it's called, How to Linocut. This introductory relief printing class was filmed in my studio and teaches you the basics of creating your own lino print at home. A big benefit of this course is that you can start it any time and is self-paced. I've purposefully laid it out in a very straightforward, step-by-step manner to illustrate the linocut process that I enjoy so much.

New Linoleum Block Printing Course

The workshop is taught through a series of five videos and you can go back and rewatch the ones that are most helpful or challenging for you. You'll learn:

• What essential supplies, like ink and tools, you'll need to make a lino print

• How to transfer your design to a block

• Simple linoleum carving techniques

• How to print your block (without a printing press) and what type of paper to use

• Using the rainbow (or gradient) roll to print multiple colors

Students can save time since all the information you need to know is in the easy to follow curriculum. Here's a brief trailer for the new linocut class that I posted on Instagram.

A post shared by Boarding All Rows (@boardingallrows) on May 29, 2018 at 12:38pm PDT