If you've been looking into lino cutting, you've probably already fallen down a rabbit hole of tools, blocks, inks and brayers and wondered where on earth to start. The good news is that you don't need much to get going. The better news is that before you spend a penny on kit, there's a smarter way to find out what you actually like.
At its simplest, lino cutting requires just a few things:
That's genuinely all you need to pull your first print. Everything else; registration jigs, printing presses, specialist papers, comes later, if at all.
The cutting tool is the piece of kit you'll have the most personal relationship with, so it's worth understanding your options.
Pfeil tools are widely regarded as some of the finest lino and woodcut tools available. Made in Switzerland to exacting standards, they hold an edge beautifully and feel wonderfully balanced in the hand. They're an investment, individual gouges aren't cheap, but for anyone who gets serious about printmaking, they're the tools you'll keep for life. Pfeil gouges come in a wide range of profiles and sizes, so you can build a set that suits exactly how you work.
Essdee is a British brand and a staple of the printmaking world, particularly popular with beginners and schools. Their lino cutting sets offer excellent value, a handle and a selection of interchangeable blades at an accessible price point. The blades are widely available and easy to replace. For someone just starting out, an Essdee set is a perfectly sensible first purchase, and many experienced printmakers keep them around for rougher work even after upgrading their main tools.
There are plenty of other brands worth knowing about, Flexcut, Stubai and Mounted are all well regarded and the right choice often comes down to personal preference: how a tool sits in your hand, how much pressure you naturally apply, whether you prefer a fixed handle or interchangeable blades. It's genuinely difficult to know what suits you until you've tried a few.
Traditional grey lino (the kind you might remember from school) is firm and requires a bit more effort to carve, but it holds fine detail well. Softer, more flexible lino sometimes called Easy Cut or Soft Cut is easier on the hands and great for beginners. Essdee make a popular soft lino block that's widely used in workshops. Some printmakers swear by one type; others use both depending on the project.
Water-based inks are easier to clean up, dry faster and are more beginner-friendly. Oil-based inks take longer to dry but give a richer, more even coverage and are preferred by many experienced printmakers for edition work. For most workshop and home printing, water-based inks are the practical choice.
Here's the thing about lino cutting tools, everyone has an opinion, and the right answer is genuinely different for different people. The best way to find out what suits you is to try a variety before committing to a set.
At our Shropshire studio, we provide all materials as part of every workshop — including a selection of tools so you can get a feel for different profiles and handles as you work. Our Introduction to Lino Cut & Printmaking workshop is the ideal starting point: you'll carve, ink and print in a single session, and by the end you'll have a much clearer sense of what tools you'd want to invest in for working at home.
It's a much better use of your money than buying a set blind, discovering you prefer a different handle style, and starting again.
Once you've got some experience under your belt, you'll naturally start to know what you reach for most. Many printmakers build their tool collection gradually, starting with a basic set and adding individual Pfeil gouges in the profiles they use most. There's no rush, and no single correct answer.
The most important thing is to start making. Everything else follows from there.
Ready to try it for yourself? Browse our lino cutting workshops and book a place in our Shropshire studio — all tools and materials provided.
From complete beginners to seasoned printmakers, we run lino cutting courses to suit every level from our Shropshire studio. Here's how to choose between our Introduction, Jigsaw, Multiblock, Reduction and Print Club sessions, so you can find the right fit and get making.
