Relief Printing History: From Woodcut to Linocut, and the Supplies to Start Today

December 7, 2025

Relief printing started long before linoleum, but the core idea has not changed: ink the raised surface, print the image.
This article connects woodcut and linocut history to the modern tools you can buy in one place at Art Noise.
Use it to choose a first block, build a small ink palette, and get better results faster with the right pressure and paper.

Lino Block Printing Printmaking Paper Printmaking Ink

Speedball Red Baron Lino Block (Mounted) Grey (Various SIzes) - Art Noise Speedball Red Baron Lino Block (Mounted) Grey (Various SIzes) Speedball Printmaking art-noise.myshopify.com speedball-red-baron-lino-block-mounted-grey-various-sizes Speedball Red Baron Lino Block (Mounted) Grey (Various SIzes) Speedball Printmaking art-noise.myshopify.com speedball-red-baron-lino-block-mounted-grey-various-sizes

Relief Printing History, from Woodcut to Today’s Linocut

Relief printing is one of those art processes that feels timeless because the core idea is so direct: the raised surface gets ink, the carved-away areas stay clean, and the image transfers to paper (or fabric). Woodcut sits near the beginning of that story, and linocut is one of the reasons relief printing still shows up in modern studios, classrooms, and kitchen tables.

If you want to explore the medium hands-on, start with our Lino Block Printing collection. It pulls together the practical essentials for relief printing, blocks, cutters, inks, brayers, and barens. For a quick refresher on the bigger picture, bookmark our relief printing guide, it is a helpful overview of types, tools, and the basic process.

Shop the Collection

What’s Distinctive in This Collection (and Why It Fits a History Lens)

1) It covers the classic relief printing workflow end-to-end. Relief printing history is not just about old prints, it is about repeatable steps: plan, carve, ink, print, adjust. This collection is built around that rhythm, with blocks, carving tools, inks, and pressure tools in one place.

2) It highlights a deep range of block printing ink colours. If you are drawn to historical printmaking for its bold graphic colour, the ink selection matters. The collection includes many Impressions colours and options, and you can explore the full range here: Impressions Block Printing Ink.

3) It supports hand printing, not just press printing. A lot of historical relief printing was printed by hand, and you can still do that today. A baren is one of the classic pressure tools, for example: Speedball Baren. Pair that with a brayer for even inking, such as Speedball’s 4" Pop In Plastic Brayer, and you have a simple, repeatable setup that travels well from practice prints to small editions.

Impressions Block Printing Ink - Yellow Light - Art Noise Impressions Block Printing Ink - Yellow Light Tri-Art Mfg. Printmaking Ink art-noise.myshopify.com impressions-block-printing-ink-yellow-light

Three Real-Life Ways to Use It (with a Nod to Where Relief Printing Came From)

1) Make a bold poster-style print that echoes woodcut energy, using linocut tools

Woodcut is one of the oldest relief printing techniques, and one reason it still looks powerful is its clear shapes and decisive contrast. You can chase that same graphic impact with linoleum. Start with a block you can handle comfortably, then keep your first design simple and readable from across the room.

Suggested starting points: Speedball Red Baron mounted lino blocks, a basic cutter kit like Speedball’s #1 Lino Cutter Assortment, and a small palette from Impressions Block Printing Ink.

2) Print crisp lettering and clean curves for cards, labels, and small editions

Linocut earned its place in modern relief printing because it is smooth to carve and friendly to detailed shapes, especially compared to grainy wood. If you want crisp edges, spend more time on planning and carving clarity, then keep your first prints small so you can iterate quickly.

Two approachable block options are Jack Richeson Mounted Easy Cut Lino and ABIG Lino. For paper that is made with printmaking in mind, browse Printmaking Paper.

3) Build a simple colour routine for multi-print projects, then branch into fabric

Historically, relief printing has always been about repetition and variation, the same carved surface, printed again and again with small changes. A simple way to practise that is to pull a short run of prints while swapping ink colours and adjusting pressure. Once you understand your ink layer and burnishing, you can test printing on fabric.

Try a single colour you love, for example Impressions Block Printing Ink in Naphthol Red, then explore other options in Printing Ink as your projects expand.

Pair It With These Collections, Then Start Printing

Relief printing gets easier when your paper, ink, and tools are working together. If you are building a kit, these pairings help you move from first pulls to more consistent results:

Printmaking Paper for dedicated sheets designed for print pulls
Japanese Paper when you want to experiment with lighter, responsive papers
Printmaking tools and accessories for more brayers, barens, cutters, and related gear
Impressions Block Printing Ink when you want to build a cohesive colour set
Relief printing techniques and supplies if you want the full overview while you shop

When you are ready, browse the full Lino Block Printing collection, pick one block, one cutter, one brayer, and one ink colour, then pull a few proof prints before you commit to a final edition.

Shop All