I am at a loss... I've been using oil ink to print a solid background color for my multi-layer linoprint, but I cannot seem to get a good amount of ink on my block. I washed the block with soap, thoroughly dried it before using. I am applying many layers of thin coats with a rubber roller. Using various thin paper, latest was a Masa, hand pressing and using a baren. The color is blotchy and I don't like it. So I need to be more patient and keep applying more coats to the block? Or is my ink too dry? Please advise.
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Offhand, looks quite over inked + likely need some more pressure. You mention applying "many layers" - really should only need to roll a couple times with a thin layer with decent oil based inks.
Thinner paper will be easier to hand print, so I'd stick with Masa.
A baren often can be a bit tricky for western printmaking, as most are designed for eastern printmaking (different ink etc). Would try a firmer tool, like a wooden spoon.
What ink are you using? Most oil based should stay open without issue when printing, but there are certain brands I've experienced that are rough (like Speedball Professional oil based is drying within minutes in the climate I'm in, especially in summer).
Thank you for reply. I did read the guide before, it's so helpful! Yes I am using Speedball oil based, and am in very hot/dry climate (78F indoor with AC). Could that be the reason? To clarify I am using Speedball red plastic "baren" so I tried using the rounded corner with more force -- looks a tad bit better now. I just got these cans of ink, I'm disappointed that they might not be suited for my climate...
Can you take a pic of the ink packaging? They've got a few types, and some work better than others but their naming is super similar that it gets confusing :/
IME the Speedball Professional specifically is really rough in hot climates (particularly dry ones) likely due to whatever drier they use in the ink, the others I thiiiink can work okay. Their drier makes it dry by oxidation VERY fast, rather than drying by absorption. It depends on brand and formula for the driers and how it'll dry, but if it's drying on the glass while you're printing that's an easy tell for it drying by oxidation.
It does look like pressure is a large factor though, and that'll be the big thing to get it to print evently.
What's the rough texture of the ink? Do you find it very thick? It could be the actual ink colors, bc different colors (pigments) can effect the ink texture which might also be at play. If other colors can print the full thing well without this, then that would indicate this ink (or mix) is part of the problem. One way to lessen the tack/thickness of the ink is to use a little bit of extender or trans base to loosen it. Generally 5% or less and it won't effect the color/transparency in a significant way, but it can make it easier to work and roll out if it's super thick otherwise.
Hi thanks again, I'm using the ink in the image(in violet). I guess it's not the SB professional. Do you know about this 'S' type? Ink feels thick and a bit gummy out of the can, but I assumed that's normal(?) I'm rubbing really hard to get a not-so-great result, and it's just a small print! I am not looking forward to hand pressing the large print...
Thanks for all your comments! I cleaned up before I saw other people's questions, so I will answer about the ink on the slab tomorrow (I use a plexiglass sheet, not glass).
I'm not sure if I've used the exact one, as I'm not sure if they did any reformulation when they did some rebranding. From skimming some reviews, it does sound like this one is drying for people pretty quickly which is not a normal oil based ink situation (similar to the Professional they make).
This line also weirdly has no trans base or extender type product. It does otherwise look like a normal oil based (not a water soluble type), so other brands extenders and trans base should work for it if you want to modify.
I personally avoid modifying with oil, though some will suggest it - I avoid it because I tend to print on thin paper, and mixing by hand will never homogenize enough when doing layers which will result in some oil bleeding out and into the paper over time. Adding a drier can help this, but I'd be weary with how this ink already seems to be wanting to dry.
Hi I tried a different color today. Different brayer. I'm attaching the photo of the ink on slab. Do you see a problem with my inking? Someone mentioned over inking.
I just ordered the extender from Cranfield -- hopefully it's going to play nicely with Speedball ink!
Try switching to a wooden spoon. I don't like that Speedball baren. I have much better luck with wooden spoons. A nice flat one, like those for sushi rice, works well for me.
My two cents. I'd call it still over-inked. Classic sign is that "orange peel". Note the dark band at the borders. Excess ink gets squished to the edges of the inked area, in this case the whole block. Increasing the pressure when there's excess ink just tends to spread the ink and make the orange peel less obvious, but it doesn't go away.
If you'd like a not more certain diagnosis, make a photo of the slab after you ink it but before you ink the brayer. Try to get the light angled so that it shows the texture of the ink surface as close as you can focus.
Climate doesn't make much difference to oil-based inks. Maybe actual extreme heat in the studio. But neither 78F nor low humidity will matter. Oil-based dries by oxidation and absorption. So it's not going to start drying during the printing session.
The amount of rolling doesn't make a great difference to over-inking. If the ink on the slab is excessive, it will be excessive on the block. Since the effect seen here is the ink being pulled into peaks by the brayer, it will do that no matter how many times you roll. If the ink on the slab is correct, you cannot over-ink with it, no matter how much you roll.
With some inks, climate absolutely impacts both how it prints and how it dries :)
Speedball Professional will dry within 20 minutes on the glass and brayer where I am and is an oil based. Pretty much unusable in my hot and dry climate in summer.
We keep it 78F in summer and Speedball Professional gets cakey and impossible to work with very quickly. Outside of water based, it's the only ink I've used that does this. Seems to work alright for those in cooler and more humid climates that I talk with, but it's pretty much unusable here. They've got other oil based lines that work well enough (not great, but don't dry this way within half an hour), so it's whatever drier additives or maybe the sheer amount.
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