How to Lino Print for Beginners

Last Updates Published: October 20, 2024

This guide is for anyone learning linocut, whether you’re just starting or have some experience. I’ve spent over ten years exploring the ins and outs of linocut, starting back when I was a teenager at school. I’m here to share my insights for beginners to lino printing and help you discover the process step by step. Let’s dive into lino printing for beginners together!

What is Lino Printing?

Linocut, also known as lino printing is a form of relief printmaking where you carve a design into a linoleum block. Ink is applied to the raised areas, and the block is then pressed onto paper to print the design.

The linocut technique is suitable for both single and multi-colour prints and is widely used by beginners and experienced printmakers alike.

Lino printing is accessible and can easily be done at home with minimal equipment, making it an excellent choice for those new to printmaking.

It is similar to woodcut but easier to carve due to the softness of linoleum. This allows artists to produce vibrant, textured results without the need for specialised tools or a studio space.

Monsters From The ID – Linocut on Zerkall Paper

How to Make a Linocut – The Lino Printing Process Step by Step

The basic steps of how to do lino printing are designing your image, carving it into a linoleum block, and printing it onto paper using ink. Begin your linocut journey with our concise, step-by-step guides below. Featuring helpful infographics and video tutorials, our tutorials provide everything you need to start lino printing, whether you’re a beginner to linocut or an experienced printmaking artist.

Designing and cutting linocut

Gather Linocut Materials

Start by collecting all the necessary materials for lino printing: linoleum block, cutting tools, ink, paper, brayer, baren, glass sheet, scraper, pencil, and carbon paper. If you’re unsure what materials are essential, check out our complete material guide for lino printing.

Next, let’s prepare your workspace to ensure everything is set up correctly.

Prepare Workspace – Setting up Studio and Workspace

With your materials ready, it’s time to ensure your workspace is clean, well-lit, and protected with a covering. For tips on setting up a professional workspace, refer to our guide one preparing your workspace or studio for linoleum printing.

Once your workspace is ready, it’s time to focus on your design.

Design Your Linocut – Planning Your Linoleum Print

Now that your workspace is prepared, begin sketching your design on paper and transfer it to your linoleum block using carbon paper or draw straight onto your lino block. If you need help with creating your design, check out our guide to designing your lino print.

After you have your design ready, it’s time to transfer it onto the linoleum block.

Transferring Your Design onto the Linoleum

With your design complete, the next step is transferring it onto your linoleum block. Follow the steps in our guide on transferring your design onto your block of linoleum to ensure a smooth transfer and avoid errors.

Once your design is on the block, let’s move on to carving.

Carve Linoleum – How to Cut and Carve Lino Block

Using the proper lino cutting tools, carefully carve out your design on the linoleum block. Our how to carve your linoleum blocks guide offers detailed techniques for carving clean and accurate lines.

With the carving done, let’s get ready for inking.

Ink the Lino Block – How to Ink Your Linoleum

After carving, it’s time to apply ink. Use a brayer to roll out a thin, even layer of ink across the raised surfaces of your linoleum block. For more detailed techniques on inking, read our guide on inking your block. If you’re interested in printing in multiple colours, explore our masking technique for multi-colour printing.

• You can read this other guide that covers multi colour lino printing methods for more advanced methods.

Once your block is inked, it’s time to print your design.

Print Design – Printing Your Linocut

Place the paper onto your inked linocut block and use a baren or the back of a spoon to apply even pressure. This will transfer the ink onto the paper, creating your print. For more details on this process, check out our guide on printing your linocut.

Once your print is done, let’s move on to drying and cleaning up.

Dry and Finish – Clean-Up After Lino Printing

Carefully lift the paper from the block and let it dry. While the print dries, it’s important to clean your tools and workspace properly. Follow our lino print cleaning guide to ensure everything is ready for future projects.

Why Is My Lino Print Not Working?

Lino printing offers artists a vibrant playground to explore and experiment with their creative instincts. This artistic journey fosters the fearless pursuit of personal expression, allowing individuals to discover and develop their unique artistic voices. However, as with any creative technique, lino printing comes with its own set of challenges, especially for those new to the craft. Navigating these pitfalls can significantly impact the quality of the final print.

Experimentation is Key

Diving into the array of designs and techniques available in lino printing allows artists to embrace each project as an opportunity to learn and grow. Every attempt, whether successful or not, is a learning experience, pushing you to adapt and refine your artistic approach.

• Innovate and Explore: Challenge traditional boundaries by experimenting with ink colours, textures, and mixed media. By doing so, each piece becomes a testament to your creativity, pushing your work in unexpected directions.
• Learn and Adapt: In lino printing, each print—whether perfect or flawed—serves as a stepping stone toward honing your craft. Adjusting your approach based on what worked (or didn’t) encourages artistic growth.

Common Lino Printing Issues & Problems

While creativity flows freely in lino printing, there are practical hurdles that can hinder the outcome of your work. Mastering these technical aspects will allow your creativity to truly shine:

• Uneven Ink Coverage: Inconsistent ink application can lead to patchy designs. To avoid this, ensure your ink is spread evenly across both the ink tray and the lino block.
• Blurred Edges or Smudging: A print lacking sharpness is often caused by unstable paper placement. Use a registration system to keep paper and block steady when printing.
• Difficulty Carving Fine Details: Struggling with intricate designs? Keep your carving tools sharp, and consider softening the lino slightly for easier carving. You can also warm the lino on radiator to make it more flexible and easier to cut.
• Paper Sticking to Lino: If the paper clings to the block, your ink might be too thick or wet. Adjust the ink’s consistency and drying time to solve this issue.
• Lino Block Movement: A moving block can cause mistakes in your print. Secure the lino with non-slip mats or double-sided tape to maintain stability.
• Ink Adhesion Issues: If ink doesn’t spread evenly or beads up on the surface, the lino may have oils present. Clean it thoroughly with detergent or white spirit before applying ink.
• Insufficient Printing Pressure: If your prints are faint or lack detail, it might be due to not applying enough pressure during printing. Press evenly and firmly over the entire surface to ensure the ink transfers properly from the lino block to the paper.
• Over-Inking Leading to Loss of Detail: Using too much ink can fill in carved areas, causing prints to lose detail. Roll out your ink until it’s tacky and applies in a thin, even layer.
• Under-Inking the Block: Applying too little ink can result in incomplete or faint prints. Ensure you load your roller evenly and apply enough ink to cover the block thoroughly without obscuring fine details.
• Ink Drying Too Quickly: If the ink dries before you print, it won’t transfer well. Work efficiently and consider using an extender medium to slow down the drying time of your ink.

Tips to Avoid Common Errors

While the pitfalls above are common, there are proactive ways to minimise their impact:

• Gradual Progression: Start with simpler designs to build confidence. As you become more comfortable, experiment with more intricate patterns to improve your carving and printing skills.
• Invest in Quality Tools: Using high-quality tools, like professional-grade carving tools and brayers, can prevent many of the technical issues that beginners face.
• Maintain a Clean Workspace: After each print session, clean up residual ink and debris to ensure clearer prints in your next round.
• Join a Community: The lino printing community offers a wealth of knowledge. Attend printmaking workshops, seek advice from seasoned artists, or join online groups to enhance your skills.
• Always Test: Before committing to a final print, create a few test impressions. This will help identify issues with ink consistency, carving depth, or paper quality, allowing you to make necessary adjustments.

Creativity Knows No Bounds

In the end, lino printing is a balance of creative expression and technical skill. By embracing the freedom to explore and experiment while simultaneously learning to navigate common challenges, artists—both beginners and experienced—can unlock the full potential of this versatile medium. Let your artistic journey guide you, and with each print, take another step toward refining your craft.

Lino Printing FAQ’s & Quick Facts

Why is Linocut Criticised?

Linocut, despite its popularity and unique aesthetic, faces several criticisms. Here are the main points often raised by critics:

• Durability: Linoleum, the primary material used in linocut printmaking, is inherently softer than wood, which is traditionally used in woodcut printmaking. This softness makes linoleum easier to carve, especially for beginners or those without specialised tools. However, this same characteristic also makes linoleum less durable. Over time and with repeated use, linoleum blocks can degrade, especially if used to produce large editions. This limits the longevity of the block and can affect the consistency and quality of prints in larger runs.
• Detail Limitations: While linoleum’s softness is an advantage for ease of carving, it also presents a significant drawback in terms of detail. The material does not hold extremely fine lines or intricate details as well as harder surfaces like wood or metal. Artists looking to achieve highly detailed and delicate designs may find linocut limiting. This limitation can be a significant barrier for those whose artistic vision relies on fine detail and precision.
• Simplistic Perception: Linocut is sometimes perceived as a more rudimentary or simplistic form of printmaking compared to other techniques such as etching, lithography, or engraving. This perception stems from the relative ease with which one can start making linocuts, as the tools and materials are more accessible and the learning curve is not as steep. However, this can lead to a misconception that linocut is a less sophisticated or less valuable art form. Critics may undervalue the skill and creativity required to produce high-quality linocut prints, overlooking the medium’s unique expressive potential and the artistic achievements of those who specialise in it.

Despite these criticisms, linocut remains a respected and widely practised form of printmaking. Many artists appreciate its bold lines, graphic quality, and the tactile nature of carving. The medium’s limitations can also be viewed as challenges that spur innovation and creativity, leading to distinctive and compelling works of art.

Is Lino Printing the Same as Block Printing?

No, but they are similar techniques. Both lino and block printing fall under relief printing, where ink is applied to the raised surface of a carved block and pressed onto paper or fabric.

Key Differences:

• Materials: Lino printing uses linoleum, which is soft and easy to carve. Block printing often involves wood or other materials, like rubber or stone, which can offer more texture but are harder to carve.
• Carving: Linoleum is smoother, allowing for finer details, while woodblock printing tends to produce more textured and rustic designs due to the grain.

Despite these differences, both methods share many core techniques, making them closely related forms of printmaking.

Lino Printing vs Woodblock Printing

Lino printing and woodblock printing are both forms of relief printmaking, where ink is applied to the raised parts of a carved block.

While woodblock printing uses wooden blocks, lino printing favours linoleum. This material is softer and easier to carve, making it ideal for beginners or artists who prefer detailed designs.

Multicolour Lino Printing

Single-colour linocuts are simple to create, but lino printing also offers more advanced techniques for adding colour.

One popular method is reduction printing, where a single block is carved and printed in stages. After each colour is printed, more of the block is carved away, allowing multiple colours to be layered on one print.

Another method is using multiple blocks. Each block is carved for a specific colour and printed in sequence, requiring precise registration to align the design.

You can read our guide on different multicolour lino printing techniques here.

This guide focuses on the single-colour linocut technique. Given the high cost of a lino printing press, we’ll be using a baren or wooden spoon for our printing.

Why Choose Linocut?

One of the most appealing aspects of linocut is its simplicity, lino printing techniques make it an excellent choice for home artists. Personally, I gravitated towards linocut for this very reason. Unlike other printmaking techniques that often require complex setups or a plethora of tools, linocut is beautifully straightforward. With minimal equipment, you can transform a simple piece of linoleum into a stunning work of art right from your kitchen table or home studio. This ease of access not only makes linocut a practical choice but also opens up a world of creative possibilities for anyone, regardless of their artistic background or experience.

Can You Lino Print at Home?

Absolutely, lino printing can be done at home with just a few basic, affordable tools. Among various relief printmaking methods, linoleum block printing stands out as one of the most user-friendly and easiest to pick up from home.

Whether your goal is to craft homemade Christmas cards or delve into lino print art, our step-by-step lino printing tutorial for beginners will set you on the right path. Due to its approachable nature, many artists choose lino printing as their introduction to printmaking.

Sustainable Printmaking Guide

Exploring the Influence of Renowned Artists on Lino Printing

Pablo Picasso and Modern Art’s Printmaking Legacy: Pablo Picasso’s foray into linocut art in the 1950s and 1960s brought a fresh perspective to this traditional form, with his bold and expressive styles. Picasso’s linocuts are particularly noted for their vibrant colors and the reduction method he employed, where a single block is used to print multiple colors. This technique is a testament to the possibilities inherent in lino printing and serves as an inspiration for artists seeking to innovate within the medium.

Angie Lewin and the Natural World: Angie Lewin is a celebrated artist whose distinctive lino prints, often inspired by the clifftops and saltmarshes of the Scottish Highlands, showcase the medium’s capacity to render intricate natural details. Her work embodies a harmonious blend of the modern and the traditional, influencing lino print artists to explore the beauty in nature’s patterns.

Contemporary Voices: Holly Cook, Sam Marshall, and Meg Buick: Emerging artists like Holly Cook, Sam Marshall, and Meg Buick bring new life and perspectives to lino printing. Cook’s lino prints radiate with a sense of playful narrative, Marshall’s work often features a stark, minimalist aesthetic, while Buick’s use of lino in her prints demonstrates a fluid, almost ethereal quality. These artists illustrate the medium’s versatility and its ability to convey a wide array of artistic expressions.

Read more about Lino Printing Artists

Deepening Technical Knowledge in Lino Printing Techniques

Colour Linocut’s Vibrant Complexity: Colour linocut is a complex process that involves using multiple lino blocks or layers to create a multicoloured print. This technique can produce vibrant prints with a rich depth of color.

Lino Printing within Relief Printmaking: As a subset of relief printmaking, lino printing shares its lineage with woodblock printing and engraving. It is defined by the principle of cutting away parts of the surface that are not to be inked, leaving a raised area that creates the image.

Read more about the process of lino printing

A Brief History of Lino Printing

Linoleum: From Floors to Fine Art

Linoleum, patented in the 19th century, was originally designed as a durable and affordable flooring material for a growing middle class. Made from linseed oil, pine resin, wood flour, and cork dust pressed onto burlap, its flexibility and ease of manipulation made it practical for both domestic and industrial use. However, by the early 20th century, artists saw its potential for creative expression.

German Expressionists were among the first to adopt linoleum as a medium, attracted by its affordability compared to woodcut materials. Its smooth texture allowed for fluid lines and quicker, less laborious carving. The Bauhaus movement further explored its possibilities, transforming linoleum from a utilitarian material into a revolutionary artistic tool.

After World War II, linoleum became popular in schools due to its low cost and ease of use. Its role in the DIY and craft movements of the 1950s cemented its place as an accessible medium for all levels of society. Linoleum’s journey from flooring to fine art reflects the broader democratisation of art materials and the resourcefulness of artists.

20th Century Printmaking: A New Era

The 20th century marked a transformative period in printmaking, paralleling the rise of modernism. Advances in technology and a spirit of experimentation expanded the scope of graphic arts. Artists like Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse embraced printmaking, with Picasso creating vibrant linocuts and Matisse exploring cut-out techniques.

Printmaking also became a medium for political expression, as seen in collectives like the Taller de Gráfica Popular in Mexico. The reproducibility of prints allowed artists to reach wider audiences and engage with social issues. In the US, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) employed artists to create prints for public buildings during the Great Depression, fostering a culture of art appreciation.

By the mid-20th century, printmaking had evolved into a respected fine art form, with artists using it to explore cultural, political, and aesthetic dimensions. The period redefined printmaking, elevating it from craft to a vital medium for innovation.

Read more about the history of printmaking