Linoleum printing - what is it? 

In linoleum printing, a desired motif or saying is carved in the negative into a linoleum plate with a special tool. There are both harder linoleum printing plates and the new softcut plates, which simplify the processing very much. Once you have transferred your desired motif or a saying on the plate and carved it out, you can print this as often as you like on textiles or papers. 

For the linoleum printing technique, you only need a printing plate, cutting tool, ink roller and printing ink. In the VBS online store, we offer you in addition to the above materials also practical sets that contain all the materials to get started immediately with the linoleum printing. 

Important information about linoleum printing

Before you start linoleum printing, you should cover your work surface to avoid soiling. You should place cardboard or foil between the layers of fabric to prevent ink from bleeding through. Your chosen fabrics should be finish and fabric softener free.

Once you have decided on a motif or saying, transfer it to the linoleum plate. You can use transfer paper to help you do this.  Make sure that all lines and areas you cut away are later white or in the basic color of your textiles. The lines and areas you leave will be printed in the color you use. In your choice of motifs, and especially fonts, it is important that you print them in mirror image and have to carve them into the linoleum plates.

After you have chosen a design and transferred it to a linoleum plate, carve away the lines with the special tool. Once all the lines are gone, you can use a paint roller to pick up the ink. Important: Always stir the ink well before use. Roll the ink roller over the entire plate with ink. When doing this, make sure your entire design is covered with ink. You can also use different colors as desired. To do this, for example, you can mask off different areas and print them one after the other.

Now take your prepared printing plate and position it with a little pressure on the desired area of your textile. Carefully remove the plate again. If you would like to print the motif a second time, then apply ink to the plate again and repeat the printing process. Once your printing is complete, clean the linoleum plate under water. The printed motif should now be fixed. Proceed according to the package instructions for the ink you are using.

If desired, you can decorate the printed motif with watercolor paint for textiles. To do this, moisten the desired areas with water. The wetter the substrate, the better the watercolor will run. This also works by using a brush to apply a lot of water and only a little watercolor to the areas. Let your textile piece dry and finally fix it again in the oven at approx. 150 °C for 8 minutes. After fixing, the textile piece can be washed at 40 °C. The textiles should be washed inside out and ironed.