Speedball Speedy-Carve Pink Carving Block – 4 × 6 in

Room for a greeting-card motif

The 4 × 6 inch Speedball Speedy-Carve block is a soft pink carving surface for detailed stamps and relief printing. Choose this rectangular size for an illustrated greeting, a botanical stamp or several small motifs arranged together. The 4×6 inch surface offers more working space than the smallest block while remaining straightforward to plan on paper.

Plan the image before carving

Try a single flower with a border, or arrange a few related shapes across the rectangle. If you intend to separate the block into smaller stamps, draw the dividing lines before placing the artwork. Check your intended card or paper size separately: this block is an inch-based format rather than an exact A6 sheet.

Transfer your drawing and check the marks

Draw with a soft pencil on paper, place the drawing pencil-side down on the block and hold it steady while rubbing the reverse. Reinforce faint lines with pencil. Check lettering and image orientation before carving. The raised areas carry ink; remove the spaces that should remain blank. Support the block on a stable work surface and work in controlled cuts.

Ink, proof and refine

Use water-soluble or oil-based block-printing ink and follow its directions for your chosen paper or fabric. Make a proof impression before starting a batch. For a card design, test the composition on a paper template first. Leave space for a greeting and a clean border instead of filling the entire printable area with carving. Clean the finished block according to the ink maker’s instructions and let it dry before storage.

Material, size and contents

Supplied as one pink, latex-free carving block containing PVC. Nominal size: 4 × 6 inches, approximately 101.6 × 152.4 mm. Metric figures are conversions of the stated inch size. Tools, ink and paper are purchased separately. Speedball specifies hand carving and excludes use with laser cutters.

Helpful guides

Inking your linocut block · Cleaning after lino printing