Linocut instructions – Your own stamp

The linocut print is a relief printing technique. This means that certain areas or lines are cut out of a printing form, the so-called printing block. This creates indentations on the surface of the printing block. For linocut printing, the printing block is a linoleum plate. We use a so-called Softcutplatte (you can get it on the internet or in specialized art stores from the brand Essdee). These plates are much easier to work with.

Only the raised (still "protruding") areas and lines are covered with ink and can transfer the ink onto paper, just like a stamp. We use an ink pad as color.

The recessed areas do not come into contact with the ink and therefore cannot transfer any color onto the paper.

Thus, in the finished print, all parts of the printing block that have not been cut out appear black and all recessed, cut-out areas appear white (see Fig. 1).

It is the easiest method of cutting, as the drawn lines are simply retraced with the knife. The lines created in the printing block remain free of ink and, after printing, show the shape of the motif in white.

Background and inner surface are cut away. The raised parts of the printing block here form the shape of the motif. These are positive lines. This carving is more demanding than the white line carving because much more material has to be removed.