Lino Printing Process
How to create a 3 colour lino print
Examples of lino prints
Examples of lino prints
The Process
Step 1 – preparing a design
• Draw around your piece of
lino and inside the outline
make a shaded drawing
which has 3 clear tonal
areas – light (white paper
background) medium and
dark.
Step 2 – transferring the design
• Trace the white areas of
your design. Mark in the
edges of the design.
• Turn the tracing paper over
and lay on top of your piece
of lino.
• Rub over the back of the
tracing to transfer a mirror
image of the white areas of
your design onto the lino.
The Process
Step 3 – the first cut
• Cut out all the white areas
you have marked onto your
lino.
• Choose the correct shaped
tool.
• Hold tool at a 45 degree
angle
• Use a wooden table block
• Keep your hands behind the
direction you are cutting.
Step 4 – inking up
• Choose a medium – light
coloured ink.
• Choose your background
papers
• Place a 50p sized amount of
ink onto a tile.
• Roll out the ink so it is tacky.
Store the ink at the top of
the tile – do not use too
much.
The Process
Step 5 – Inking and printing
• Roll ink all over your piece of
lino – not to much.
• Place the paper on top of your
inked lino.
• Use a clean roller to roll over
the back of you paper.
• Repeat this process on
different coloured
backgrounds for different
effects.
• Try changing the ink colour too
Step 6 – cleaning the lino
• Use a damp sponge to clean
the lino over the sink
• Do not hold the lino under a
running tap to clean it.
• Wash the tile and roller
• Leave the lino and tools to
dry
The Process
Step 7 – transferring the next tones
• With a new piece of tracing
paper, trace all the medium
tones on your design.
• Turn the tracing paper over
and match up onto the
same piece of lino.
• Transfer as before.
Step 8 – the 2nd cut & print
• Cut out all the medium
areas you have transferred.
• Choose a darker tone of ink
than your first and ink up
the lino.
• Place each of your first set
of paper prints in turn
(which are dry) over the
inked lino. Roll over with a
clean roller and peel back to
reveal your final print.