How to Design Holiday Cards for Linoleum Block Printing

Mass-produced holiday cards are available in a mind-boggling array of designs and themes, but making your own allows you to personalize your holiday message. And besides, it's fun! Here's how to design a card

Choosing Your Design

Instructions

STEP 1 Select a theme - a tree, a dreidel, a star, a sprig of holly.

STEP 2 Select a design with simple lines and shapes, which is most appropriate for linoleum block printing.

STEP 3 Decide how many colors you want.

STEP 4 Think about positive and negative space. There are only two ways to design a block print: Carve away everything but the design or carve out the design.

STEP 5 Decide how you'll use positive and negative space. Don't be afraid to use both.

STEP 6 Consider using text. An elaborate script is probably out of the question, but block letters are certainly an option, even for a novice. If you want to use text, you'll probably need a bigger (or separate) block.

STEP 7 Draw your design on tracing paper with a soft-lead pencil, using heavy strokes.

Using Color

Instructions

STEP 1 Remember that each color gets its own linoleum block and its own place in your print run.

STEP 2 Carve one block with a sky background if you want a tree on a snowdrift at night. Print this block in midnight blue on white paper.

STEP 3 Carve a block with a tree.

STEP 4 Print this block in green. The white paper, outlined by the blue, becomes your snowdrift.

Using Positive and Negative Space

Instructions

STEP 1 Remember that anything you carve away won't print - it will show as plain paper. Anything you don't carve will print in whatever color ink you choose.

STEP 2 Make a relief print by carving away everything but the design. Carve away the block around the tree so that the tree stands out and prints, to create a card with a tree on a snowdrift at night.

STEP 3 Carve out the design, alternatively. Carve out the tree so that you'll print a color block with a tree in the middle.

STEP 4 Use both methods by carving a snowdrift and a few stars out of one block; on another block, carve everything away except the tree.

Just some tips: Outline everything, then carve bigger areas. Thin lines don't show well. If thin lines have paint in them, take a paper clip, bend it so that there's an end sticking out and slide it through the outlines. It'll get the paint out and make them show better. Don't forget everything will print in reverse- including letters (learned this the hard way).

Make it easier on yourself by heating it right before cutting. A quick blow dry or a few minutes on the radiator will do it. If you want to see exactly what is going to print while you cut, then give your linoleum a wash with India ink first (let cure for 24 hours). The black with print, the brown won't.