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Relief printing tips

My primary type of printmaking is relief printing, specifically linoleum printing blocks. I started off using the cheapest tools and materials I could find at Blicks which overall did their job, but there are some exceptions if you’re thinking about getting into it.

• Firstly, do not get rubber rollers with wood centers; after starting off with one for a couple years, I realized the wood on the inside was absorbing water on the exposed edges when washed. The two ends were a noticeably different diameter than the center of the roller, and it resulted in terribly uneven inking across my blocks.
• Secondly, find a sheet of glass to roll your ink out on. Plastic palettes also have a tendency to warp a bit, alongside easily scratching. I cannibalized a broken digital scale for its flat glass plate, but old picture frames or whatever flat glass you can find would work just as well. Please don’t spend your money on fancy glass palettes when you can scavenge from the trash for free.
• Thirdly, print with mounted linoleum. If you have the materials, it’s perfectly fine to mount the linoleum onto whatever solid surface you want, but regardless that stuff should be mounted. Unmounted warps after being washed, and can be unnecessarily difficult to evenly ink. This doesn’t apply to easy carve/soft blocks/whatever soft rubbery blocks, as they don’t really warp with moisture or anything due to just being the texture of a weird eraser. It can be helpful to mount them when they’re carved very thin or small though, to prevent them from breaking.

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