Skill Level
Beginner. Adult supervision needed
Time to Make
1 hour
Adult Supervision Needed
Yes
How to Make
- Cut your piece of lino to fit within the frame/ mount you intend to use, to ensure your print will fit! Use pencil to draw your design onto the lino sheet. Remember letters and numbers need to be in reverse!
- Heat the lino briefly with a hairdryer to help soften it and aid with the cutting process.
- Using the lino cutter, carefully cut your design, small amounts at a time. Either do this as you go to create a random pattern or use the picture as your guide, mapping it out with a biro onto the lino to help. Place the lino on a flat surface and cut away from you.
- Set up your printing station. You will need a tray with a small amount of printing ink to initially coat the roller, and a piece of plastic film next to it. You will need two rollers – one for ink and one to keep dry to help with printing, plus a small pile of paper for test prints.
- Coat the roller in the ink in the tray, and then move onto the plastic film and roll back and forth until the roller is covered in a very thin layer of ink. You should hear constant ‘tacky’ noise. If not, the ink is too thick.
- Roll a thin layer of ink onto your lino shape. Place it onto the centre of the card and roll over gently with a clean roller to ensure the whole design has made contact with the card. Carefully remove it and allow to dry overnight. Thoroughly wash and DRY the lino and equipment between colours.
- Once dry, mount and frame.
Top Tip
Be careful when cutting the lino as the tool is sharp. Warm lino is much easier to cut your design into. Try using a hairdryer to heat the surface before cutting as it will offer less resistance.
