Choosing Inks for Lino-Cut

35mm · #1 05-08-2012, 08:45 PM

Hello all; I am attempting a foray into Lino-cut prints and am ordering supplies to get started. I do have cutting tools but need advice on the other essentials. Right now I have come up against the ink choice decision and have been reading McClains concerning various available ink's. I thought I might find a sticky somewhere that addresses the topic, but alas there does not seem to be one, at least that I can find, so I ask you forum members to find out your thoughts on a beginners ink. I do hope I don't have to spend a $100 to get started(?). I'm looking to do reduction prints, and multiple plate prints working up slowly to multiple colors, but would at least like to start with 3 to 4 color prints as my subject matter is acquisitioned from my photography. I appreciate any help you can provide.

mstuarte · #2 05-09-2012, 12:07 AM

personally I prefer oil based inks. Their color is usually richer and they stay open longer. Having said that, I'll note that I'm using Daniel Smith water based inks for some monoprinting and I really like them. I have not done any block printing yet with them. Daniel Smith Oil relief inks are very good too.

I think it is worth spending a few extra bucks to get good inks. Daniel Smith is pretty good. I prefer to use the inks in tubes. Cans are slightly better deals, but they always get crusty with me.

boundstaffpress · #3 05-09-2012, 12:51 AM

I like Daniel Smith oil relief inks. They are reliable, and not much trouble to clean. I razor blade my slab, and polish it with a blue shop towel. Rollers I clean with mineral spirits, and I season my lino blocks by printing two or three ghosts, then storing them with ink on the surface. So far, no trouble with this method.

Diane Cutter · #4 05-09-2012, 07:56 AM

I prefer the oil relief also... and clean up with vegetable oil (often left over from making french fries), followed by rubbing alcohol (the cheap stuff you buy at the pharmacy). I stay away from mineral spirits as much as I can.

I agree that, unless you are opening a print studio for multiple users, the tubes rather than cans are the best purchase because there is no waste. Cans tend to get crusty and there is a lot of loss there. Plus I always seemed to get some of the gunky stuff in my ink as I rolled it out.

Regarding colors, since I work monochromatic for the most part, my only suggestion would be to get the primaries (cyan, magenta, yellow) plus black and white and an extender. You can make a surprising number of color combinations using those.

Diane

JenZ · #5 05-09-2012, 10:07 AM

I've tried Speedball, Graphic Chemical, Daniel Smith and Akua Intaglio inks and I have to say, my favorite are Akua!!!!

Jen

**bridog** · #6 05-09-2012, 10:49 AM

I too have preferred using oil base relief printing inks.
However there are some new vegetable oil based inks on the market that work well and the beauty is clean up is much easier as one can use vegetable oil or soap and water.
I recently tried a new water soluble relief printing ink made by Graphic Chemical that is not terribly expensive. (comes in 1/4 lb. tubes or 1 lb. can sizes). I found that this product behaves very much like oil in its texture as it is quite tacky and remains open on the inking slab for a few hours. It washes up very easily with warm soapy water but you can also clean off rollers and surfaces with Simple Green cleaner also if you wish. There is no smell at all and the ink prints very nicely with intense color. It dries actually fairly fast on paper (overnight) if it isn't layered too heavily.
For economy I order black, white and basic primary colors and mix my secondary colors out of these. However I get a tube each of both cobalt and peacock blue (process blue) and carnation red and primary red as these will yield a wider range of secondary colors when mixed.
One word of caution though..although they do dry a lot faster than conventional oil inks if these are layered too thickly or in more than four layers of colors they will dry very slowly. Type of paper and absorbancy of the paper surface from the ink will also influence this.

Jen also mentioned Akua. These are nice inks too. Bit of learning curve though with getting some of the pure colors to print a bit more opaque

35mm · #7 05-09-2012, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bridog

I recently tried a new water soluble relief printing ink made by Graphic Chemical that is not terribly expensive. (comes in 1/4 lb. tubes or 1 lb. can sizes).

I'm thinking about trying the Caligo which seems like the Graphic Chemical item. Smell is a big deal and I'll have to call probably and get some insight.

I looks like I'll have to go with the process colors and add B&W to start.

Spindlewick · #8 05-09-2012, 08:13 PM

So far I've only used Caligo Safe Wash Relief inks. Nice viscosity and a breeze to mix colours and clean up (which is ideal for me)

**bridog** · #9 05-10-2012, 03:37 PM

Caligo are good inks but they do have a noticable smell to them since they are linseed derived (just modified to accept detergent and water for clean up). Also they do dry slowly like a regular oil ink.
The Graphic Chemical ink has a glycol base with pigment added. Its texture is similar in behaviour to oil but it will clean up easily with warm water and some soap (much easier than the Caligo). These also dry much faster than the Caligo and there is absolutely no odor from them. I have found that they remain open on the inking plate for up to several hours before they start to skin on the surface. You can add a little glycol as a retarder if you want.
Also GC tell me that they are permanent once they are fully dry.

Jeremy Bryant · #10 05-11-2012, 12:47 AM

Yeah me too. I normally use oil. And I get your point not wanting to spend much on a startup project but how else are you going to learn? Learning from experience is the best teacher in the world. I suggest you go try new things.

mstuarte · #11 05-11-2012, 07:52 AM

I agree with Jeremy. Ink is not the only cost. PAper is a huge cost, and, abstractly, so is time. When I've used sub-quality inks and the impression was not rich and satisfying, the whole project would pale quite a bit. I might eventually reprint to get it better, and then I'm out twice as much paper and ink and, of course, time.

Viewing an endeavor as being a vital part of life (I'm getting philosophic here) sheds new light on just being alive for me. When my work comes out better, more brilliant, and the materials are easier to work with, I feel totally 'invested' in it. I used to just do a print a couple times a year, usually around a holiday, for friends and family. Now if I don't get into the studio 3-5 times a week, I feel incomplete. And feeling completed is a key part of creativity. Just a thought.

Okay, I rambled enough!

**bridog** · #12 05-11-2012, 08:10 AM

since paper came up again I will recommend one that is economical
if you are using hand burnishing to print your impressions from your blocks a thin strong paper would be a good option.
I have been using Masa paper recently. For a sheet 21 x 31 " pricewise Masa is very reasonable at $1.39. It works very well with both water soluble and oil inks. I slightly mist the surface first with water and this helps the transfer of ink and release of paper post burnishing. I tend to print on the smooth side of the paper. There is slightly more textured side, but which side you use would be a personal choice.
There are cheaper papers out there like Speedball Printmaster or Scratchart Subi but here really you get what you pay for...these might be good more so for use in schools, proofing or testing development of blocks. Newsprint is a good inexpensive testing paper also.

There are some more expensive Kozo and Hosho papers if budget isn't an issue that are very good too. A recent workshop I gave we used Somerset bookweight, the paper was a little denser and textured but it printed well. We used a press though so that may have produced the good results.
Good luck!

**bridog** · #13 05-11-2012, 08:27 AM

I forgot to mention Aqualine modified vegetable oil inks made by Rudolph Faust Company.
Similar in many ways to Akua, no smell and soap and water clean up.
I have used them, pricewise not hard on the budget but would depend on size of container. Again you can mix secondaries from process primary colors for economy.

35mm · #14 05-16-2012, 07:48 PM

Thanks everyone for the replies. I'm glad paper was bought up as that of course is another consideration. I just got in my linoleum from Blick and will start practicing; I can order the ink and paper while I do that.
Thanks Bridog for your responses. You've all been a big help.
Btw, (whistle whistle) What's a good decent brayer and what size should I get. I'm lost in choosing something. I ordered 9x12 linoleum to cut 6x9 pieces to practice on or to print 8x10. Is a 6 inch brayer a good starting choice?

Diane Cutter · #15 05-17-2012, 05:24 AM

I've used a 4" Speedball type for years. Some people buy brayers wider than the surface they are inking but I prefer a lot of criss-crossing when I ink the lino.

If you get a Speedball (which are everywhere in art stores), take it out of the packaging to make sure the roller moves smoothly and there are no dings on the roller surface. Also I would stay away from the clear acrylic roller and the sponge type... both are rather useless for inking up.

Diane

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