Intro to Linocut

Why you should take this linocut class in Seattle

Carving your own linocut illustrations is an easy and accessible way to put your own stamp on your letterpress work, so to speak. After this 3-hour skill-building workshop, you’ll feel empowered to design and carve your own lino blocks—opening up more design possibilities for your relief printing, whether you plan to print at the kitchen table or with a printing press. All materials are provided—just bring yourself, and you’ll take home a linoleum block that you’ve carved from start to finish, along with an edition of prints. 

What you’ll learn

Come spend a few hours at PiP learning how to carve and print linoleum blocks. We’ll use both letterpress printing presses and hand-proofing techniques so that wherever your print journey takes you, you’ll feel well-equipped to continue using this technique. Lino blocks, tools, ink, and paper are provided. We’ll cover:

• Raising your linocut to the right height for printing
• The linocut process, tools, and materials
• Drawing strategies for successful relief images
• Transferring your image in reverse onto the lino block
• Selecting the right carving tools and wielding them safely and ergonomically

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites—only a desire to unplug, work with your hands, learn in community, and a willingness to help others. We welcome your accessibility questions at hello@partnersinprint.org.

Who should take this class?

Print is for everyone! Letterpress printers, designers, artists and anyone else who wants to learn how to add hand-carved illustration to any print project will enjoy this supplementary skill-building workshop.