Five things to know before your first linocut

Linocut is one of the most forgiving ways into printmaking. You need a block, a few gouges and some ink. Still, a few things surprise almost everyone in their first session.

1. Everything prints backwards

Whatever you carve appears mirrored on the paper. That matters most for letters and numbers. We trace your design, flip it and transfer it, so the print comes out the right way round.

Carving a botanical lino block

2. You carve away what you don’t want

The surface you leave untouched holds the ink, and everything you cut stays white. It takes a moment to think this way, so we start with bold shapes and keep fine lines for later.

3. Push away from your hand

Gouges are sharp. Always carve away from the hand holding the block, and use the bench hook we give you. Short, shallow cuts give you more control than one deep one.

4. Less ink than you think

A thin, even layer that looks like velvet on the roller prints best. Too much ink fills your fine lines and blurs the edges.

5. The first print is a test

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Pull the first print, look at it, then carve again. The block tells you what it needs.

Tomas Reyes, Printmaker

Pulling a print in the print room

Most people make three or four proofs before they are happy. That isn’t failure. That is printmaking.