Oil Based vs Water Based Block Printing Ink: Which to Use

Oil based vs water based block printing ink, side by side

Read the middle column closely. Water-washable oil ink is an oil based ink, and it behaves like one on the slab and on the drying rack. Only the cleanup is like water based ink. The same facts, sorted by printing surface, are in the block printing ink chart.

Why water based block printing ink dries on the slab

Water based ink dries when its water evaporates. Rolled out into a thin film on a slab, it has a large surface and little depth, so in a warm, dry room it starts to stiffen while you are still printing. The brayer stops hissing and starts to drag, the ink goes on unevenly, and prints turn pale or speckled. This is the usual reason a run that started well ends patchy.

Oil based ink does not dry by evaporation, so it stays open on the slab through a long session. With water based ink, work around the short working time instead of fighting it: squeeze out less ink and add fresh ink more often, print in short runs, and have paper cut and stacked before you roll out. Speedball also offers ink modifiers for its inks. Use only one made for the ink you have.

Drying time: hours for water based, days for oil based

The only water based figure from a maker is Essdee's: about 2 hours on a warm drying rack, and up to weeks in a cold, damp studio. Essdee lists what changes it: temperature, humidity, light, how much ink you apply and the surface you print on. Speedball gives no drying figure for its Water-Soluble ink on the product page.

For oil based ink no maker here gives a fixed time. Cranfield names what speeds it up: warm air, low humidity, good airflow, light, a drier, and non-acidic paper. Plan on days, and dry prints apart, not stacked. Times by ink type are collected in the drying time chart.

Cleanup, solvents and smell

Water based ink comes off with soap and water (Speedball) or warm water and a little detergent (Essdee). Water-washable oil ink also needs no solvent, but the order matters. Cranfield's method for Caligo Safe Wash: take off the excess ink with a rag or by rolling it out on newspaper, put liquid soap straight onto the inky surface, wipe the mixture away, then rinse. Speedball says its Professional Relief Ink cleans up with soap and water or window cleaner.

Traditional oil based ink is the one with the solvent. Speedball states that its oil-based inks need solvent or vegetable oil for cleanup. If you use a solvent, ventilate the room and follow the label. Keep solvents off rubber rollers. The step-by-step version is in how to clean lino blocks and brayers.

Does the dry print resist water?

A water based print does not. The ink stays water-soluble when dry, so a damp hand can smudge it and a wash of watercolor over the print lifts it. Essdee says the same about fabric: its block printing ink is likely to smudge on cloth and washes out on contact with water.

Oil based ink is the choice when the print has to take moisture, for example when you hand color it. Cranfield says Safe Wash ink, once fully dry, shows a good level of resistance to handling and washing, and adds that it cannot guarantee full water resistance in every case. For cloth, neither paper ink is the first choice: see how to block print on fabric.

Choose water based block printing ink when

Water based ink is the starting point for most people, and the ink in nearly every kit. It fits short sessions and anything that has to be finished the same day.

• You print with children or in a classroom. Cleanup is soap and water, with no solvent anywhere in the room.
• You need the prints soon. In a warm, dry place they can be dry within hours: Essdee's figure is about 2 hours on a warm rack.
• You are proofing a block, not printing an edition. A few test prints are done before the ink on the slab stiffens.
• You carve Speedball Speedy-Cut. Speedball lists that block for water-soluble block printing ink only.

Water based block printing inks compared →

Choose oil based block printing ink when

For most home printers that means a water-washable oil ink. It prints like oil based ink and needs no solvent. Traditional oil ink only makes sense if you already work with solvents and have the ventilation.

• You print an edition on paper. The ink stays workable through a long run, so the last print can match the first.
• You print on damp paper or heavy printmaking paper. Cranfield lists Caligo Safe Wash for both damp and dry paper.
• The print will be hand colored or handled a lot. A water based print stays water-soluble. Cranfield reports good resistance for Safe Wash once it is fully dry.
• You can wait. Give the prints days on a rack with warmth and moving air before you stack or sign them.

Note.For T-shirts and tote bags pick a fabric block ink, not either paper ink. Speedball's is a water-washable oil base: dry to the touch overnight, no heat set required. Follow the label on washing.

Oil based and water-washable inks compared →

Quick answers

Short answers on block printing inks. Every drying and cleanup statement names the maker it comes from. If a label says otherwise, the label wins.

• What is the best ink for lino printing? For first prints and quick projects, water based block ink. For editions on paper, a water-washable oil based relief ink. For cloth, a fabric block printing ink.
• Is lino printing ink oil based or water based? Both are sold. Kits nearly always hold water based ink. Oil based ink comes as traditional ink cleaned with solvent or as water-washable ink cleaned with soap.
• Is oil based block printing ink hard to clean up? Not the water-washable kind. Cranfield's method is liquid soap on the ink first, then a wipe and a rinse. Traditional oil ink needs solvent or vegetable oil.
• Can water based block printing ink go on fabric? No. Essdee says its block ink smudges on fabric and washes out. Use a fabric block printing ink and follow its label.