A brayer is the small hand roller used to spread a thin, even layer of ink and roll it onto a block. In lino and relief printing it is more often called a lino roller or an ink roller, but it is the same tool: a rubber or polyurethane cylinder on a handle. Along with the block and the ink, it is one of the three things you cannot print a linocut without, and getting a smooth, even roll of ink is the key to a clean print.
Brayer, lino roller or ink roller?
All of these names describe the same roller. Brayer is the traditional term, especially in the United States; ink roller and lino roller are the everyday names in relief and lino printing, and you will also see "relief roller". The word originally had a narrower meaning: in letterpress, a brayer was a small roller used to rub out and distribute ink on the inking slab before it was applied to the type. Today it simply means the roller you use to ink a block.
How a brayer is used
- Squeeze a little ink onto a flat, smooth inking surface, such as a sheet of glass or acrylic.
- Roll the brayer back and forth through the ink until it is spread into a thin, even, slightly tacky film and the roller is evenly coated.
- Roll the charged brayer smoothly over the raised surface of the carved block, in a few directions, so every part is covered with a light, even layer of ink.
- Lay your paper on top and take the print by hand with a baren or through a press, then re-charge the brayer for the next one.
Soft or hard, and what size?
Rollers vary in both hardness and width. A soft roller presses ink gently into textured or uneven surfaces and large flat areas, and is forgiving for hand printing; a harder roller lays a crisp, flat, even film that suits fine detail. Most rollers are made of rubber or polyurethane. For width, pick a roller a little wider than your block: a small roller for stamps and tiny blocks, a wide one for big prints. There are also pin rollers, small textured rollers used for pattern and block printing on fabric.
Rollers at Ritualis Press
A good roller is one of the best investments a printmaker can make. Browse our ink rollers in several widths and our lino pin rollers, read our guide to choosing ink, and see where the brayer fits in the linocut, monoprint and wider printmaking process. The glossary explains any other term you meet.