Linocut & Printing Setup

Linocut and Woodcut work area

One of the best things about linocut printmaking is that if you don't have a studio it is very easy to set up in small area and quickly packed away if the small area with the best light happens to be your bedroom. This little desk under my bedroom window has great light and a gorgeous view of the garden. It's my winter retreat when my studio in the centre of the house is too cold. Katherine Tyrrell at Making a Mark suggested I might like to share my tools and setup with anyone who is interested in this very satisifying form of printmaking.

The setup is very simple - laptop for listening to BBC Radio 4 while I work, an old mouse mat to sit my lino or (in this case) plywood plate on. To the right are the tools.

While there are two linocutting tools sets on the desk, I seldom use more than the four tools in the centre of the picture. The two on the left are from Zecchi, in Florence and needed sharpening before use. The two of the right are Swiss Made Pfeil tools which came beautifully sharpened. I have two small V cutters, one small U and one that is almost flat. Most of the time I use the small V and the almost flat tool from Pfeil. I use the same tools for lino and plywood. To the left of the tools is a small piece of 2000 sandpaper that I drag the cutting edges against to keep them sharp while I'm working. I have a small oil stone but also use a Japanese wetstone we have for sharpening our kitchen knives. I hope with experience to become better at sharpening my tools.

When I'm ready to print I can set up at the same tiny desk.

All you need are some tubes of printing ink (I prefer oil based), a small piece of glass - I'm using an old mirror to roll out the ink, a rubber roller and a barren or wooden spoon to rub the paper against the inked plate.

The alternative printing method is a press.

My favourite piece of equipment is at the studio:

Old book binding press used for relief printing.

That's it really. Oil based inks can be cleaned up with cooking oil and vinegar . I always clean my plates with turpentine, and that's best done outside. I don't know if the cooking oil is good for cleaning these. Maybe someone would like to advise.

Rice paper is very nice for hand-pulled prints otherwise use damp paper, specially manufactured for printmaking (watercolour paper has too much size). Just soak it in a tray of water for about ten minutes and then roll it out between sheets of blotting paper before printing.

For the bits of ink that always end up on my hands and nose I use baby oil or babywipes.

So what are you waiting for?