It also doesn't require any modifiers and works fine straight out of the tube. However, I really, really like it! Schmincke doesn't dry too fast while you're rolling it out like other water-based inks do, but it dries to the touch on paper quite fast. This was probably the biggest surprise of all because I don't think it's widely used, particularly here in the US. Expect at least a couple days in my experience but it often is longer, particularly if you've stacked a lot of layers on top of each other. Drying time can be affected by the temperature and humidity of the studio, how thick the ink was applied, the type of paper, as well as the number of layers of ink. Unlike water-based inks, oil-based inks take longer to dry and Caligo is no exception. I sometimes use the extender to make the inks more transparent. I prefer the tubes to the cans of ink - avoiding problems with the ink skinning over. After you get used to the inks you can try the different ink modifiers that they sell. With this color palette you can pretty much get any color you want. I recommend starting with tubes of black, white and their process colors (red, yellow and blue). Let it dry.Ĭaligo inks come in a variety of colors and are widely available online. Then rinse it all under warm water, rubbing it off with your hands. Hold the brayer over the sink and squirt a fair amount of dish soap on it (no water, yet!) and rub it all around until the ink is completely coated with soap. It has all the benefits of traditional oil-based ink but because of its special formulation, it comes without the cleanup hassle. It's the ink that I've gone back to time and time again over the years. Hands down the best overall ink on the market for lino printing, in my opinion. Best Oil-Based Ink for Printing Linocuts on Paper Winner - Caligo Safe Wash Relief Ink If you click on those links, I get a small commission if you end up buying something there since I participate in their affiliate programs. You can find more details about this here. But, the opinions here are all my own and I bought all these inks with my own money. McClain's Printmaking Supplies is a smaller company that also sells relief printing materials. Update: Some of these inks are a little tricky to find and people have asked where to get them, so I've included links that will take you to Blick Art Materials and Amazon, where most can be found. Some of these inks are fantastic, others not so much. Permaset Aqua Textile Screen-Printing Ink Graphic Chemical Water-Soluble Relief Ink These are the inks I tested:ĭaniel Smith Oil-Based Relief Ink (now discontinued) So with that in mind, over the last couple years I've been experimenting exhaustively with inks made by a wide variety of manufacturers from around the world. I've printed on all different sorts of paper from thin Japanese paper to Rives BFK, as well as fabric, mostly on a Blick etching press. I'm not sure what it says about me but I'm always experimenting with inks for block printing, wondering if there is something else out there that I'm missing.