What is wood engraving?
Wood engraving is a traditional form of relief reproduction that differs from wood carving in that the line is incised into the block of wood rather than the background being cut away. The first woodcuts date back to the late 14th century and represent the early stages of printing. Text and images were printed from the same wooden plate, called incunabula - from the Latin ‘incunabulum’, meaning cradle. Wood engraving became a more refined art form when it was adopted by the old masters, first in Italy and then in Northern Europe. It was then widely used in the 19th century to reproduce images in books and newspapers before the invention of photomechanical techniques. Wood engraving continues to be used by artists as an original engraving medium.
Wood engraving: the process
Wooden plate, engraving tools, water-based inks and printing paper: discover the process and tools needed for linocut printing. Wood engraving is a relief engraving technique, also known as relief carving because the engraver carves around their design, leaving it intact. Only the raised parts are inked and therefore appear black on the paper, while the white areas correspond to the carved-out parts. Manual printing or a manual press can be used to reproduce the image. The manual process involves pressing a piece of paper onto the inked surface and rubbing it with a wooden spoon or specially designed tools called barens or stamps, ensuring that the entire relief print is transferred to the paper. The paper is then removed to reveal the impression. The hand press is a simple machine that sandwiches the plate and paper together and applies pressure to transfer the image onto the paper.
ALL THE TOOLS YOU NEED FOR WOOD ENGRAVING
Gouges
These tools enable the engraver to carve into the linoleum and create defined shapes and precise angles for the image. We offer a range of high-quality gouges with round, U-shaped or V-shaped cutting blades and a superior-quality gouge sharpening stone.
Ink rollers
The ink is applied to the linoleum using a roller made of hard materials to ensure good contact with the carved relief without overloading it. We offer a range of rollers in various sizes and styles, with plastic or wooden handles.
Stamps and Barens
For manual printing, it is important to press the paper evenly against the inked relief without denting or marking the paper. We offer a range of high-quality barens and stamps to press onto the back of the paper during printing.
Knives
Wood engravers also use metal knives of various shapes and sizes to create relief and cut away excess wood. It is best to keep them sharp to achieve the most accurate results possible. Charbonnel offers a wide range of high-quality knives and a selection of sharpening stones.
Inks
The most suitable ink for relief printing is a highly pigmented ink with medium to strong adhesion. Charbonnel manufactures a range of finely ground inks, including water-soluble ink, our emulsified ink, which is water-soluble and non-toxic, allowing for cleaning with soapy water. We also offer the Lefranc Bourgeois range of water-based linocut inks.