How to: Linocut with chine colle method

"1974", 12" x 9", linocut chine colle

This is a linocut called "1974" which I inked in red oil-based ink and printed in the "chine colle" method. Instead of printing directly onto white printmaking paper, I printed onto lime-green paper which will adhere to the white printmaking paper.

Here's how. I inked the block with red ink and placed it face-up on the etching press bed. I tore a piece of green tissue-like paper called "unryo" into the size of the block, then spread an adhesive called methyl cellulose all over it, and placed it onto the inked block, glue side up.

Then I took my larger, white printmaking paper, which I soaked in water and blotted well, and placed it on top of the green paper, and printed it. As it goes through the press, the press makes the green paper stick to the white printmaking paper, and prints the red ink onto the green paper. (You can't see the white printmaking paper in this photograph, but there's a 2-inch margin of white paper all around the image.)

Making a photograph ready to print is simple with Adobe Photoshop Elements or a similar program. I took a non-complex photograph and changed it to black and white using Photoshop Elements. I heightened the contrast until I liked the ratio of black to white, then printed it out and trimmed it to the size of the linoleum block. I then traced the image to the block using black graphite paper, went over it with a Sharpie, darkening any dark places, then cut out all the white spaces with my Flexcut carving tools. Ready to roll with ink and print!