RELIEF PRINTING 101 Maury 2017

Relief printing is one of the oldest (500 BC) and most direct of all the methods. Images can be simplistic and graphic, or intricate and detailed. It’s a subtractive process, meaning you cut away, or subtract, the areas you do not want to print.

USING WOOD VS. LINEOLEUM? Wood and linoleum are the most common relief printing substrates. Other materials such as MDF, foam, cintra, and even dense cardboard have been used. Your choice of material will heavily dictate the kinds of marks and level of detail you are able to achieve.

Wood Linoleum Grain of wood will print No grain, smooth surface Wood is denser, takes more effort to cut, Softer for cutting and easier for making curved offers a more angular mark. lines. More readily available and often cheaper Special order if no store available, pricier Comes in very large sizes Many sizes available, including rolls

PREPARING THE BLOCK

LINOLEUM: No preparation of the surface of the block is required. But if you are printing multiple colors with accurate registration, it is a good idea to make sure your linoleum block is square on one corner for registration during printing.

WOOD: For easier carving, use Shina plywood, which is a softer plywood and allows for easy cutting across the grain. A dense, tight-grained wood such as cherry, maple or birch also works but requires more effort to carve (especially across the grain). It can be solid wood or plywood as long as it’s flat and even. The benefit to a harder wood is that it will withstand more printing with a press and will retain very fine detail better.

1. To enhance the grain of the wood (optional): Option 1- rub the entire block with a stiff, wire brush (be sure to brush with the grain of the wood). Option 2- use a cloth lightly dampened with water to exaggerate the grain, taking care to allow for complete drying.

2. Saturate the woodblock with linseed oil using a cotton rag or paper towel, rub it in well and remove any excess from the surface. Let it dry overnight or longer if possible. Repeat for best results. This will limit how much ink the block soaks up during printing (because you want the ink on the paper) and make post-printing clean up much easier.

* You can seal the wood block instead with a shellac or water-based varnish. This will prevent the absorption of ink and make the surface tougher. This may ‘raise’ the grain. If not wanted, give the block a light sanding after it dries.

* Tinting the surface of the block (DONE BEFORE SEALING): you can use a wash of india ink, acrylic ink/paint thinned with water, or oil-based printing ink thinned with mineral spirits which is then rubbed into the block (with the grain) with a soft cloth. This works well to differentiate the carved marks from the non-carved areas. This may ‘raise’ the grain. If you don’t want that, give the block a light sanding after it dries. TRANSFERRING THE IMAGE TO THE BLOCK *Remember: the image will print in reverse.

Direct Simply draw directly onto the surface of the block with a soft pencil. Other materials, such as marker can show up in the printing, but pencil will disappear after a couple of proof prints. *You can seal the block after drawing (shellac or varnish)so that you can proof the image without losing the drawing.

Transfer Drawing / Carbon Transfer Place carbon transfer paper, or paper coated in iron oxide or soft graphite pencil under your sketch and use a pen to transfer the image onto the block.

SHARPENING YOUR Keeping your carving tools sharp is VERY IMPORTANT. Dull tools create rough edges, wander, and make carving difficult. The harder the substrate you use, the more often you will need to sharpen your tools.

Use the finer side of the oilstone with just a few drops of 3-in-1 oil smoothed out with your finger. You only want a thin film of oil between the stone and the .

CHISELS / KNIVES 1. Get a grip on the blade, flat side pressed against a finger and the bevel exposed for action:

2. The flat bevel is then pressed perfectly flatly against the absolutely flat surface of the stone

3. Next, rub the bevel on the stone until it is sharp, keeping it perfectly flat. Use a strong forward thrusting motion from the elbow and 'lock' your wrist into position. No pressure, no sharpen. You should be able actually 'feel' the cutting action. If you are unsure of what you are doing, inspect frequently, wiping the blade to get a good view of what is happening. When you feel that enough metal is ground away, and the blade is the correct shape, start to bear up on the pressure and make the last few dozen strokes with considerably reduced pressure.

4. Now you have to do the back. This is easier, as the flatness and width of the back helps keep things 'on the level'. Hold it much the same way, with a finger supporting the blade.

V GOUGES V-gouges have 3 areas that need sharpening – the 2 slanted edges and the central gouge, where the slanted sides join.

1. Place one of the slanted sides of the V gouge so it lies flat on the stone. Now lift the handle of the gouge up so the angle between the blade and the stone is about 22 degrees. You are aiming to keep the bevelled part of the blade, at the very tip, flat on the stone.

2. Now gently push the blade along the stone as if you are shaving a very fine slice off the top of the stone. Repeat several times, then turn the V gouge over to sharpen the other side in the same way. A burr will develop in the center of the gouge where the 2 slanted sides join.

3. Use the edge of the oilstone and, with a dab of oil, run the gouge over the corner a few times to remove the burr.

C & U GOUGES Use the oilstone with the curved groove. Follow the curve until sharp.

CARVING THE BLOCK Basically, you are removing areas by carving them away. The remaining image areas become raised for inking and printing.

Traditional Carving Tools Spend time testing out the various carving tools available. Most common are gouges, knives, and chisels. A sharp tool is a precise tool. Dull tools are more difficult to use and control, create fuzzy images and cause problems. Possible marks varying from thin, precise lines to patterns and textures.

Knives: for making fine lines and outlining areas to be then cut /cleared away. Be sure to angle the cuts so that you create a stable image for printing.

Gouges/ Chisels: for creating images and textures and clearing large areas away quickly. C-shaped gouges are most often used to clear away large areas, while U-shaped gouges cut a narrower path and are more often used for image making.

Sanding/ Abrading The surface can be sanded by hand or with a power sander to create interesting textures and tonal variations.

Power Tools Drills, dremels, and routers (including the CNC router in the woodshop) can be used to create a range of marks, often more precisely.

TIPS WHEN CUTTING: - When using gouges or chisels, ALWAYS cut away from you and keep your non-cutting hand out of the way. *Sharp tools make deep cuts in flesh. Use a bench hook to keep the block in place when cutting. - When using denser woods, cut as much as possible, with the grain of the wood. - You do not actually need to make the cuts very deep. But remember that some of what you leave in larger open areas will probably print so be aware of the directions of your cuts and make them fit the “flow” of the image. This is called ‘chatter’. - Heat the surface of the linoleum with a hairdryer or place it on the hot plate for just a minute, this will soften the linoleum and make it easier to cut. - It is a good idea to proof your image as you cut to see how it is coming along.