![]() ![]() ![]() Once the block is carved, I trim the excess off with scissors to give it a straight edge, and then it is ready for printing. With practice, you can learn the amount of pressure it takes to carve the material, and the best techniques to use for certain designs. Carving the blocks takes a lot of patience, because if your hand slips it can ruin the whole piece. ![]() I use a range of knives, with very small-tipped knives for carving outlines and details, and much larger ones for cutting away the background. Carving a block can take anywhere from an hour for a small piece, to several weeks or even months depending on the size and detail of the image. Whatever surface is untouched will be what prints onto the paper. I carve away the parts that I don’t want to print, as the ink will be applied to the raised surfaces to print the design. Once I have the image ready, I then transfer the design on to the linoleum to give me an outline of where to carve. It is important to reverse the image if you are using text, as the printed image will be the reverse of what is on the block. This is different than letterpress where the image is applied with enough pressure to leave an indent on the paper typically block printing is done by hand, so the ink sits on the surface adding a raised texture to the paper. It is possible however, when using a very small knife, to carve blocks with a huge amount of detail.īlock printing is also known as “relief printing” because the ink leaves a raised texture on the paper. Images that are printed with this technique are typically much bolder than other types of printmaking: since the blocks are carved by hand, there is often less detail and more texture to the prints. Block printing can be done with wood, linoleum, rubber, or many other materials, but I use linoleum for my work. Since there is such a long history of block printing, there are many different techniques, but it is essentially using a carved material covered in ink to transfer an image on to paper or fabric. It has been done around the world, with roots in India, China and Japan. There is evidence that it existed as early as the fifth century BC, with actual fragments found from as early as the fifteenth century. Today we have the talented Katharine Watson stopping by to tell us about one of the oldest printing methods – a technique known as block printing.īlock Printing is one of the oldest types of printmaking, and has been around for thousands of years. Happy Monday everyone! Every morning this week, I’ll be running a series of guests posts about different printing methods – so if you’ve ever wondered why certain printing methods are best for certain kinds of designs (or cost more than others), this is for you! You can read the previous installments covering digital printing, engraving, screen printing, letterpress printing with antique type, and foil stamping all right here. ![]()
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