An introduction to lino printing: everything you need to get started
Lino printing is one of the most satisfying printmaking techniques available to beginners — and one of the most deceptive in the best possible way. The process looks complex and the results look professional, but the fundamentals are genuinely accessible from the very first session. You carve a design into a block, roll ink across the surface, press it onto paper, and lift. What comes off is a mirror image of what you carved, in whatever colour you chose, with the clean, crisp quality that only a printed mark can produce.
It is a technique with a distinguished history — used by Picasso, Matisse, and Edvard Munch among many others — and it is equally at home in a school art room, a kitchen table studio, or a professional printmaking workshop. The barrier to entry is low, the equipment is affordable, and the creative possibilities expand continuously as your skill develops.
We stock a comprehensive range of lino printing supplies at Craft and Canvas — blocks, cutters, rollers, inks, paper, and complete starter kits — at 3 Carlton Street, Hebden Bridge and online at craftandcanvas.co.uk. This guide covers everything you need to understand before you start.
How lino printing works
Lino printing is a relief printing technique. This means the ink sits on the raised surface of the block — the parts you have not carved away — and transfers to the paper when the block is pressed against it. The areas you carve away do not print; they become the white space in the finished image.
The key thing to understand immediately is that your design will print as a mirror image of what you carve. If you carve a letter R, it will print as a backwards R. If your design is not symmetrical, you need to draw it in reverse before you carve — or draw it normally, trace it, flip the tracing paper over, and transfer the reversed image to your block. For abstract or symmetrical designs this is not an issue at all.
Everything else about the process follows from this single mechanical fact: ink on raised surface, paper pressed against it, image transfers, block lifted.
What you need
The lino block
There are several types of block to choose from, and they behave quite differently.
Traditional lino — the classic grey or brown battleship lino — is the material most people think of when they hear the word linocut. It is firm, with a slightly grainy surface, and requires more pressure to cut than the softer alternatives. The upside is durability and a quality of line that experienced printmakers value — the resistance of the material gives you more control over the cut. Essdee traditional lino is available as a 2-pack at Craft and Canvas for £3.70, making it an affordable starting point.
Easy cut lino is a softer, more pliable alternative that cuts with considerably less effort than traditional lino. It is the natural choice for beginners, for children, and for anyone who finds the resistance of traditional lino uncomfortable over longer carving sessions. Easy Cut Lino Sheets are available at Craft and Canvas at £1.99.
Foam sheets — our Quickprint Foam Sheets at £1.99 — are the softest option of all and can be drawn or pressed into directly without any cutting tools. They are not strictly lino but work on exactly the same relief printing principle and are ideal for very young children, quick test prints, and exploratory work where the finish matters less than the process.
The cutters
Lino cutters come in different blade shapes, each producing a different type of mark.
A V-gouge produces a sharp, precise V-shaped groove — good for fine lines, detail work, and hatching. A U-gouge removes more material and produces a broader, rounder channel — useful for clearing larger areas and for bolder lines. A knife blade cuts cleanly around the edges of shapes. Most printmakers use several blade types in the same print, choosing the appropriate tool for each area.
We stock several cutter options at Craft and Canvas. The Lino Cutter Set at £29.95 is a professional quality set with multiple blade types and a comfortable handle — a good investment if you plan to print regularly. The Essdee Pack of Assorted Lino Cutters at £12.99 is a more accessible option covering the essential blade types. The Ricolino Linocut Tool Set at £12.75 is a complete kit designed for both beginners and experienced printmakers. Individual cutters are also available — the Lino Cutter and Baren at £8.50 and Essdee Style 1 Cutters at £7.25.
A bench hook is worth mentioning here — it is not a cutting tool but a safety device that holds your lino block steady while you carve, preventing it from sliding. The Lino Bench Hook at £11.99 is a genuinely important safety purchase, particularly for beginners who may apply more pressure than necessary while getting used to the tools. Always carve away from your hands.
The ink
Lino printing ink needs to be thick enough to roll to an even, consistent film across the block surface without dripping or pooling. Standard fluid paint is not suitable — specialist printing ink is necessary.
We stock Caligo Safe Wash Relief Inks at £14.75 — one of the most significant products in printmaking in recent years. Traditional oil-based printing inks require cleaning with white spirit or turpentine, which is messy, smelly, and requires safe disposal. Caligo Safe Wash inks are oil-based inks that clean up with water and washing up liquid — all the quality of oil-based printing with none of the solvent requirement. We cover Caligo Safe Wash inks in full detail in a separate blog post — they deserve it.
The Block Printing Medium at £12.50 can be added to inks to adjust consistency and extend open time.
The roller
A rubber or foam roller — called a brayer in printmaking — is used to roll the ink into an even film on a flat surface (an inking plate or a piece of glass) before rolling it onto the block. An even ink film is essential for a clean, consistent print — too much ink and your fine lines will fill in; too little and the print will be pale and patchy.
We stock several roller options: the Soft Rubber Ink Roller at £11.05 — the most versatile option for most printmaking work — the Lino Brayer Roller at £7.99, the Lino/Ink Rollers at £5.25, and the Foam Rollers at £1.25 for lighter use and children's work.
The paper
Almost any paper will accept a lino print, but the quality of the paper significantly affects the quality of the result. Smooth, good-quality paper gives the cleanest, most detailed prints. Very textured or absorbent papers can cause ink to bleed or the fine details of a carving to be lost.
For serious printmaking, we stock two excellent papers at Craft and Canvas. Somerset Printmaking Paper at £7.14 per large sheet (56 x 76cm) is one of the most respected printmaking papers in the world — a cotton rag paper of exceptional quality that produces beautiful results. Fabriano Unica is available both as individual 50 x 70cm sheets at £1.34 and as a pack at £12.99 — a quality Italian printmaking paper that is excellent for lino work. Seawhite Newsprint Pads at £4.99 are a practical and very affordable option for test prints and practice.
The process step by step
Step one: prepare your design. Draw or trace your design onto the lino block with a pencil or ballpoint pen. Remember to reverse any text or asymmetric elements before transferring. Keep your first designs bold and relatively simple — very fine details are difficult to carve cleanly until you are comfortable with the tools.
Step two: carve. Secure your block with the bench hook and begin carving away the areas you do not want to print. Work slowly and deliberately, particularly around the edges of your design. Keep cuts shallow at first — you can always remove more material, but you cannot put it back. Carve away from your hands at all times.
Step three: ink up. Squeeze a small amount of ink onto your inking plate and roll the brayer back and forth until you have an even, thin film. The ink should make a slight tacky sound as the roller moves — if it is silent the film is too thick, if it is very loud it is too thin. Roll the inked brayer across your carved block, covering the raised surface evenly.
Step four: print. Place your paper over the inked block (or place the block face-down onto the paper — either works), and apply firm, even pressure across the entire surface. A baren, the back of a spoon, or your palm all work for hand printing. Apply pressure firmly and evenly — lift one corner to check the transfer before removing the paper fully.
Step five: lift and dry. Peel the paper from the block and lay the print flat to dry. Lino prints dry relatively quickly but should not be stacked until fully dry. Clean your block, roller, and inking plate with water and washing up liquid if using Caligo Safe Wash inks.
Starter kits
If you would prefer to start with everything in one box, we stock several complete kits at Craft and Canvas. The Block Printing Lino Essentials Kit at £23.49 and the Lino Cutting and Printing Kit at £37.99 both contain everything needed to begin. The Essdee Fabric Lino Printing Kit at £35.99 is specifically designed for printing on fabric — an excellent option if you want to print on textiles as well as paper. The Essdee Block Printing Kit for Kids at £19.99 is designed for ages five and above and is a great introduction for younger printmakers.
Frequently asked questions about lino printing
Do I need to heat the lino before carving?
Warming traditional lino slightly — on a radiator, or briefly with a hairdryer — makes it noticeably easier to carve. Easy cut lino does not need warming and is soft enough to carve at room temperature. Foam sheets require no warming.
What is the difference between easy cut lino and traditional lino?
Easy cut lino is softer and requires less effort to carve, making it more accessible for beginners and children. Traditional lino is firmer, more durable, and produces a slightly different quality of line that many experienced printmakers prefer. Both produce excellent results — the choice depends on your experience level and personal preference.
Can I print more than once from the same block?
Yes — a well-made lino block can produce many prints. Re-ink the block between each print. The block can be cleaned and stored for future use.
Can I use lino printing ink on fabric?
Standard lino printing ink is designed for paper. For fabric printing, use a specialist fabric printing ink or add a fabric medium to standard ink. The Essdee Fabric Lino Printing Kit we stock is specifically set up for textile printing.
How do I get an even print without a printing press?
Firm, even hand pressure using a baren, the back of a wooden spoon, or your palm. Work systematically across the paper rather than pressing in one spot, and check a corner before lifting to make sure the transfer is complete. Consistent ink coverage on the block and smooth paper both help considerably.
Do I need a printing press?
No — all the lino printing we describe in this post is hand printing, which requires no press at all. A printing press allows for more consistent pressure across larger blocks and is useful for edition printing, but is not necessary to produce excellent results.
What do I do if my print has gaps or missed areas?
Usually caused by uneven ink coverage on the block or insufficient pressure during printing. Re-ink the block, ensure the ink film is even, and apply firmer pressure at the next print. Very large blocks can be difficult to print evenly by hand — working in sections can help.
Shop lino printing supplies at Craft and Canvas
We stock a full range of lino printing supplies — blocks, cutters, rollers, inks, paper, and complete starter kits — at Craft and Canvas in Hebden Bridge and online at craftandcanvas.co.uk. Come in and speak to us if you are not sure where to start.
Craft and Canvas | 3 Carlton Street, Hebden Bridge, HX7 8ER | craftandcanvas.co.uk