"OOH I did that in high school! I remember it being really fun!" I hear that a lot when people see my lino-cut prints. Whether it was high school or elementary, many people have fond memories of printmaking, and here's a secret: You can do it again!
Don't know where to get started? No problem, I'll tell you! After 7 years of printmaking, I am sharing the tools and materials I have tested and used, starting with Kits & inks.Why? Because I have wasted A LOT of money on products of the years and now you don't have to.
Starter kits, and INKS!
If you are a complete beginner with no supplies, no fries and no guys, this Speedball Fabric printing kit is a great place to get started. This has everything you need to get started with block printing. I have printed T-shirts, Tote bags, tea towels, printed and sewn pillow cases, zipper pouches, lavender pouches and paper prints with this ink. It cures by air drying in 7 days, and if you want a little extra heat setting, you can iron on the wrong side for 2-3 minutes on the fabric setting you've printed on.
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Stazon Ink Pad in Jet Black - This is my favourite ink pad for printing cards and test printing blocks. It is a solvent ink which means it dries quickly. As a left-handed, somewhat clumsy person, I like that it dries quickly so I don't have to worry about smudging. My go-to in the Jet Black ink and I use it to stamp all my packaging as well. It's versatile and permanent. Top marks from me!
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Stazon Ink Refill in Jet Black  - Instead of buying new ink pads when they run out, pick up one of these refill bottles and your ink pad will last for a LONG time!
Printing on wood with Stazon ink pad for a custom set of stamps for GWD Leatherworks.
Speedball Fabric Ink 6 pack - Want the option to print on fabric? Whether you're printing on greeting cards, an edition on paper, a T-shirt, or Tea-towel. With a curing time of 7 days, you can print on just about anything. As I mentioned with the fabric ink kit, this ink takes a week to cure(dry). FYI, it says you don't have to heat set it, but I always do. You can also expect to lose a little bit of colour on the first washing, so it's best to wash with like colours.
Printed cotton squares with Speedball Fabric ink (old packaging on the ink tube).
Speedball water soluble Ink 4 pack - If you're just getting started in the wonderful world of printmaking, I would recommend this 4 pack of water soluble inks. It is less expensive and good to learn how to roll out consistency in your ink. Keep in mind, the ink will bleed if you add watercolour paint to prints, so if you're planning on experimenting with mixed media, go with the oil based ink mentioned above.
Speedball Oil based professional Ink 6 Pack - This is my preferred ink of choice for all my limited-edition paper prints. It has a delightful texture, is easy to roll out and the print are consistent. It will not bleed once cured, so it's great if you want to add watercolour once the ink is dry. It is an oil-based ink that washes up with soap and water so you don't need to have any special solvents. My go-to is the Supergraphic Black!
Check out this time-lapse video of printing Boer Kid with supergraphic black ink.
Ok I think I'll stop here so it's not too overwhelming and in my next post I'll discuss Carving Tools and Materials.
*The links in this post may contain affiliate links. This means I may make a very small commission at no extra cost to you. I will only ever recommend products that I use in my daily art practice. Thank you for your support.