St Cuthberts Mill : Printmaking Process: Linocut Printing

Professional printmaker and printmaking tutor Kathryn Anderson takes us through the print process she uses when printing her impressive linocuts. Kathryn is an ambassador for Somerset paper by St Cuthberts Mill, and is known for her highly detailed prints capturing the beauty and mystery of the natural world.

About Linocut printing by Kathryn Anderson

Linocut printmaking is a form of relief printing much like woodcuts. The linoleum or ‘lino’ block is a composite material made primarily of linseed oil, cork, and finely powdered wood formed under heat and pressure. This composite material gives you a substrate that is consistent in its density throughout the block. It is easy to cut and can create highly detailed work without worrying about wood grain or chipping. The most common artist’s linoleum is known as ‘Battleship Gray’, but there are other mediums in varying degrees of hardness and flexibility.

‘Relief prints’ are created by carving away the parts you don’t want to print and applying ink to the surface which is then transferred to the paper. It’s important to remember that the image will print as a mirror image of the carved block which is especially important if you are adding type to your piece!

Before you begin you need to make sure that the surface of your block is smooth and clean. This will help to ensure even and well-distributed ink when it comes time to print. I also ‘tone’ the block with an acrylic paint wash to better highlight my carving and create a mid-tone value for planning the design.

Imaging the block

Once you’ve established your design, it can be drawn directly or transferred to the block and the fun begins! I like to work things out on the block and use a black and a white pencil to help define the image and what to carve away. One thing about linocut is that you can’t ‘uncut’ it, so I am meticulous about getting the image right before I start carving.

For me the carving stage of the process is my favourite! I can get lost for hours and days as I carefully carve away at my design. It is very meditative and relaxing, but I’m also very intensely focused. Time flies and everything else disappears as I carve.

Another important factor is your carving tools. These can range from very budget-friendly to quite expensive, but the main factor is keeping them sharp! I’ve never cut myself with sharp tools, but I have with dull ones. As ironic as that sounds the dull edges tend to slip, which can catch you off guard or damage your cut, while you have better control with a nice sharp tool.

Once your block is completely carved, you’re ready to PRINT!

Paper

At this stage there are a lot of variables which can affect your print quality. One of the biggest factors is the paper you print on. My go-to paper is Somerset Satin by St Cuthberts Mill. It is very stable and has such a wonderfully smooth surface. I’ve used lots of different papers but found that Somerset Satin yielded the cleanest most uniform printing of any others that I tried. Its weight and stability also work beautifully for multiblock and reduction printing which requires very careful registration. Paper that buckles or stretches will create registration issues which for me was completely solved with the right paper choice.

With Somerset Satin I can also print a linocut and then paint it using watercolour paint. It accepts the paint beautifully and doesn’t buckle.

The Somerset Velvet is also a great choice for linocut prints and comes in some lovely additional hues; Antique, Buff, and Newsprint Grey. The velvet is also a lovely paper to draw on.

I also love the Somerset Textured for printing etchings (but that’s another post!).

Tearing down the sheets

I always hand-tear my sheets for printing. Where I learned printmaking, this was just “how it’s done”. There’s something wonderful about the act of tearing down sheets, I get to feel the smooth texture of the paper and the way it tears. It seems to be a more beautiful part of the process than cutting the paper with sharp tools, and I love the softly deckled edges this creates.

I generally define the paper size by allowing 1.5 to 2 inches (3.8cm to 5.1cm) on each side of the block, and I add more to one side if I am doing a multiblock print to accommodate the registration tabs.

I save every small offcut of this precious paper to print thank you cards and small drawings on.

Registering the print

I used to print by hand, but now I have a lovely etching press which makes my editions a bit more uniform one to the next and keeps the pressure very consistent. When registering a single colour print I use the registration grid on the press bed and use artists' tape to guide me in block and paper placement.

When I am printing a multiblock or reduction print I use registration pins and tabs. These keep the registration spot-on from print to print and successive blocks and colours. There are many other registration methods, but this works best for me.

Inking the block

Another important variable is the ink and the method of application. Keep in mind, that everyone’s process varies a bit and what works for me may not be the preferred methods for everyone. For linocut printing I use an oil-based ink that cleans up without solvents.

I place a bit of ink on my glass palette and work it a bit with a palette knife to mix and get it ready for rolling out. I typically use a super soft brayer to roll the ink out on the palette. There’s a delicate balance here in terms of the thickness of the ink on the block. I have found that several thinner layers applied to the block yields crisper and cleaner prints.

Printing

OK, maybe THIS is my favourite part!

I place the inked block face up on the press bed and using my guides, gently roll the paper onto the block and lightly smooth the back surface. I place a sheet of flexible plexi on top to distribute the pressure more uniformly. I have some pressure settings that I regularly use for linocut printing on my press. Extreme pressure is not needed (and could damage the block) and only a gentle even pressure is required.

The big reveal

This is where the magic happens! As I gently lift one corner of the paper (while holding the other side in place) I finally get to see the finished print. Sometimes there is even a little studio-dance of joy!

To conclude

Printmaking can be difficult, there are so many variables that can affect the outcome. It’s taken me lots of practice, patience, and finding the right tools and methods (and learning from countless mistakes!) to fine-tune the process.

One of the primary factors in this process is finding the right paper. There are lots of great papers out there, but my tried-and-true favorite is Somerset Satin. This paper is the perfect weight, and the surface is so smooth! It’s the ideal texture and sizing and accepts the ink perfectly. The print is crisp and clean, and every tiny detail is captured.

I LOVE this paper! I have two drawers dedicated to Somerset paper!

That said, Linocut printmaking is a very accessible medium. You don’t have to have an etching press, there are inexpensive hand presses out there, and hand printing with a baren or the back of a wooden spoon works too. You can purchase everything you need to get started without breaking the bank.