Step 4 of the process
Ink the block
Water based ink is the easy start on paper, water-washable oil ink gives a longer working time, and fabric needs a fabric block ink. Roll a thin, even film on the slab first: too much ink fills the fine lines.
- On paper
- water based or water-washable oil ink
- On fabric
- fabric block ink, cured as its label says
Pick the ink by what you print on. Water based block ink washes up with soap and water and suits paper, but it dries fast on the slab and stays water-soluble on the print. Water-washable oil inks stay workable far longer and still clean up with soap. Fabric that will be washed needs a fabric block printing ink. The ink chart lays out which ink suits which surface.
Squeeze a short line of ink onto a smooth slab and roll it out with the brayer, lifting between passes and changing direction, until the film is thin, even and velvety. It should make a light hiss, not a wet squelch. How to use a brayer shows the motion, and brayers compared covers width and rubber hardness.
Carry the ink to the block in several light passes from different directions instead of one heavy one. The raised surface should be evenly coated, with no bare patches and no ink pooled in the cuts. Acrylic paint and screen printing ink are common substitutes with known limits, see acrylic paint for block printing.
Ready to move on when: The raised surface carries an even, satin film of ink with no dry spots, and the carved lines are still open.
Common mistakes at this stage
- Rolling out a thick, glossy layer that floods the fine lines.
- Using paper ink on fabric that will be washed.
- Letting water based ink dry on the slab between prints.