Relief printing (also called relief printmaking) is the oldest and most approachable family of printmaking. The idea is simple: the artist cuts away everything that should stay blank, so the image stands up in relief on the surface of a block or plate. Only that raised surface is inked, and when paper is pressed against it, the raised design prints while the cut-away areas remain clean. Because the surface prints directly, the image comes out mirror-reversed. The woodcut, the linocut and letterpress all belong to this family.
How relief printing works
- Draw or transfer the design onto a block, remembering that the finished print will be reversed.
- Carve away the areas that should stay white using knives and gouges; the raised, untouched surface is what will print.
- Roll a thin, even layer of ink over the raised surface with a brayer.
- Lay paper on top and transfer the image, either by hand with a baren or a spoon, or through a press.
- Peel the paper back to reveal the print, then repeat to pull an edition of matching images.
One of relief printing's charms is that a press is optional. Many prints are pulled entirely by hand, which makes it one of the easiest ways to start making original prints at home.
The three printmaking families
Printmaking is usually divided into three families by where the ink sits. In relief printing the ink sits on the raised surface. In intaglio (engraving, etching and drypoint) the opposite is true: the ink is held in lines cut below the surface, the top of the plate is wiped clean, and a heavy press forces the paper into the grooves. In planographic printing, such as lithography, the surface is completely flat and chemistry decides which areas hold ink. Relief is the most direct of the three, and the easiest to try without specialist equipment.
The relief family of techniques
Relief printing covers a wide range of methods that all share the same raised-surface principle:
- Woodcut - carved into a plank of wood, the oldest of all relief techniques.
- Linocut - carved into smooth, grainless linoleum, and the friendliest starting point.
- Letterpress - printed from raised metal or wooden type and image blocks.
- Wood engraving - cut into the hard end grain of wood with a burin for very fine, delicate lines.
- Everyday relief prints - from rubber stamps and foam shapes to a simple potato or block-print stamp, which all work on exactly the same idea.
A very old idea
Relief printing is the oldest way of making multiple copies of an image. It began in China, where woodblock printing was used first on textiles and then on paper; the Diamond Sutra of 868 AD is the earliest dated complete printed book. Around 1040 Bi Sheng created movable type, and in Europe Johannes Gutenberg paired movable metal type with a press in the 1440s, a relief technique that put printing at the heart of modern life. Because type and image blocks are both relief, text and pictures could be printed together on the same page. You can read more about the printmakers who shaped the medium.
Tools and materials
Getting started in relief printing needs very little:
- A block to carve, such as a linocut sheet or a wooden block, or ready-made type for letterpress.
- Cutting tools, a knife plus a set of V and U gouges.
- A brayer or ink roller and relief ink to charge the surface evenly.
- A baren for hand printing, or a press for firm, even pressure.
- Good printmaking paper and a cutting mat to protect your surface.
Getting started with relief printing
Because it needs no press and only a handful of tools, relief printing is the best way into printmaking. The linocut is the gentlest place to begin: our step-by-step guide for beginners and a simple block-print stamp will have you pulling prints quickly. From there you can explore the woodcut and letterpress, move up to printmaking presses and supplies, and keep the glossary close by for any new words you meet.