All-time Linocut Inks for Block Printing on Paper and Fabric

I'grand not sure what it says about me but I'm always experimenting with inks for block printing, wondering if there is something else out at that place that I'm missing. So with that in mind, over the last couple years I've been experimenting exhaustively with inks made by a wide variety of manufacturers from effectually the world. I've printed on all different sorts of newspaper from thin Japanese paper to Rives BFK, besides every bit fabric, mostly on a Blick carving press. These are the inks I tested:

  1. Caligo Safe Launder Relief Ink

  2. Charbonnel Aqua Launder Etching Ink

  3. Daniel Smith Oil-Based Relief Ink (now discontinued)

  4. Gamblin Oil-Based Relief Ink

  5. Schmincke Aqua Linoldruck Ink

  6. Lukas Linol Ink

  7. Akua Intaglio Ink

  8. Graphic Chemical Water-Soluble Relief Ink

  9. Blick Cake Printing Ink

  10. Speedball Block Printing Ink

  11. Permaset Aqua Cloth Screen-Printing Ink

  12. Speedball Textile Block Printing Ink

  13. Gamblin Bulldoze by Black Textile Ink

  14. Versatex Screen-Press Ink

  15. Jacquard Screen-Printing Ink

  16. Speedball Fabric Screen-Printing Ink

  17. Blick Fabric Screen-Printing Ink

Some of these inks are fantastic, others not so much.

Inks reviewed for lino printing.

Inks reviewed for lino press.

Update: Some of these inks are a little tricky to find and people have asked where to get them, so I've included links that will have you to Blick Art Materials and Amazon, where most can exist found. If you click on those links, I get a modest commission if you lot end upward buying something at that place since I participate in their chapter programs. You can notice more details well-nigh this here. But, the opinions here are all my own and I bought all these inks with my own money. McClain's Printmaking Supplies is a smaller company that besides sells relief press materials.

Best Oil-Based Ink for Printing Linocuts on Newspaper

Winner - Caligo Condom Launder Relief Ink

Hands down the best overall ink on the market place for lino printing, in my opinion. It's the ink that I've gone back to time and time again over the years. Information technology has all the benefits of traditional oil-based ink merely considering of its special formulation, it comes without the cleanup hassle. Here'southward how to clean your inked brayer. Agree the brayer over the sink and squirt a fair amount of dish soap on information technology (no water, yet!) and rub information technology all around until the ink is completely coated with soap. And so rinse information technology all nether warm water, rubbing it off with your hands. Done. Let it dry out.

Caligo inks come in a variety of colors and are widely bachelor online. I recommend starting with tubes of black, white and their process colors (red, yellowish and blue). With this color palette you lot can pretty much get whatsoever color yous want. I prefer the tubes to the cans of ink - avoiding issues with the ink skinning over. After yous get used to the inks you tin try the different ink modifiers that they sell. I sometimes use the extender to brand the inks more transparent.

Unlike h2o-based inks, oil-based inks take longer to dry and Caligo is no exception. Await at least a couple days in my experience but information technology often is longer, particularly if you've stacked a lot of layers on meridian of each other. Drying time can be affected past the temperature and humidity of the studio, how thick the ink was applied, the type of paper, as well as the number of layers of ink.

Honorable Mention - Charbonnel Aqua Wash Carving Ink

Yes, information technology's an intaglio ink but information technology works just fine for relief printing correct out of the tube. Like to Caligo simply a little more expensive and smelly.

Least Favorite - Traditional Oil-Based Inks

Not sure I see the point of using using traditional oil-based inks anymore, given the availability of much easier to work with inks like Caligo and Charbonnel, but Gamblin's line of relief inks are reliable.

Linocut Printed with Schminke Linoldruck Ink

Linocut Printed with Schminke Linoldruck Ink

This was probably the biggest surprise of all because I don't think it'southward widely used, particularly hither in the U.s.a.. However, I actually, really like it! Schmincke doesn't dry also fast while you're rolling information technology out like other h2o-based inks do, but it dries to the impact paper quite fast. It also doesn't require any modifiers and works fine straight out of the tube. I used this ink on my anglerfish print, which I recently finished.

On the downside, it is sort of expensive and you need to scroll the ink on your block advisedly to avoid leaving lap marks. It isn't widely available (in the US) only you lot can club information technology through Blick. If toll isn't a factor for you, it's the logical ink to replace the inferior Speedball and Blick Block Printing Inks.

Honorable Mention - Akua Intaglio

*2020 Update: delight see this blog post nearly a problem cropping up with Akua Intaglio Ink and lightweight paper.

When applied in very thin layers, this ink works alright with linoleum. They as well sell an extensive array of ink modifiers (transparent base, mag mix, etc.) to work with. I could see using this on a case-by-case basis, but it wouldn't be me goto linocut ink.

Honorable Mention - Graphic Chemical H2o-Soluble Relief Ink

I'm pleased with the printing results of this ink. However, I found the water-soluble vehicle very sticky and messy to piece of work with. Other downsides are that it's not distributed by major retailers here in the United states of america and I wish they'd provide lightfastness ratings for their range of inks.

Least Favorite - Lukas Linol Ink

I'yard sorry, but it worked terribly for me and I tried several different colors. Thankfully, it'due south very hard to buy for those of us in the United states.

Now, onto printing on material.

If you've gotten this far and want to learn more about the linocut process, I've got the lino printing method broken downwardly step-by-pace. Now, onto printing on fabric.

All-time Inks for Block Press on Textile

Testing textile inks for relief press is a whole unlike animal. There are two schools of thought when press linocuts on material: using screen-printing ink vs. block printing ink. The benefit of screen-printing textile inks is that they're washable when oestrus set and there are lots to choose from. In contrast, at that place aren't a lot of relief cloth inks on the market.

I did extensive testing on these inks with copious amounts of notes and numbered material samples...it all bordered on insanity! Some of the testing I did included:

  • Washing the cloth before press vs. not washing it

  • Mixing brands of inks in unlike ratios

  • Adding modifiers to some inks to thicken them, increment tack or prolong the working time of the inks

  • Using foam vs. rubber brayers

  • Heat setting vs. non rut setting

  • Heat setting by ironing vs. in the dryer

  • Pre-washing quality of the impress vs. post-washing quality

This mail is all about choosing the best ink merely I've got lots of data if you want to learn some specific techniques and tips for lino printing on fabric.

Okay, so this is what I recollect. You'll notice that I have ii winners here: Gamblin and Speedball. Though I like Gambin's fabric ink, it only comes in black and I like Speedball for its broad range of colors.

Block Printed Anglerfish T-Shirt Using Gamblin's Drive by Black Ink

Cake Printed Anglerfish T-Shirt Using Gamblin's Drive by Black Ink

Winner (Black) - Gamblin Drive by Black Textile Ink

This is a traditional oil-based ink, which means it's a real pain to work with and clean upwards (different the Caligo I mentioned in a higher place). I wouldn't recommend Drive by Black if you're press in your kitchen or something. However, it'south a really rich ink, rolls out beautifully and prints nicely on fabric. Once dry, it holds up to washing quite well. Cleanup is best done with vegetable oil and/or Gamsol odorless mineral spirits.

Winner (Non-Black) - Speedball Cloth Block Printing Ink

While too oil-based, it'southward made to make clean up easily (like Caligo's ink) and comes in a wide spectrum of colors. Speedball rolls out nicely and produces crisp images on t-shirts and other fabrics. On the downside, I find the smell a little unpleasant while I'm working with it. Afterwards it dries (up to vii days), information technology washes well but at that place volition exist some slight fading over time.

*2018 Update - I posted nigh the long-term permanence of Speedball Cloth Cake Printing Ink.

Honorable Mention - Speedball Material Screen-Printing Ink

A lot of people use textile screen-printing ink for cake printing on material, my favorite amongst those is probably Speedball Fabric Screen-Printing Ink. A couple tricks for using this ink: 1) let is sit on the slab for a little while to dry/thicken before rolling it out, and 2) use a foam brayer instead of a rubber brayer. Versatex Screen-Printing Ink showed promise too.

Least Favorite - Permaset Aqua Material Screen-Printing Ink

This might be my most controversial choice. I really wanted to like it, I promise! Many people who print on cloth swear by it, but its results trailed far behind every other textile ink I tried. I can't recommended it. Jacquard's ink didn't practice itself any favors either by drying so fast on the slab making it difficult to work with when doing a impress run of more than one item.

If you've made information technology this far, I'k impressed :) Delight let me know if y'all have any questions or thoughts!

ink, linocut, linocut supplies, printmaking, block printing, block print, relief print, schmincke, gamblin, speedball, Caligo Safe Wash Relief Ink

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