Why it’s Important to Use Good Quality Printmaking tools (and what happens when you don’t)
They say a poor tradesman blames his tools but is that really true?
There’s a balance to be struck when aiming to create the highest quality products. It requires a combination of skill, knowledge and the right tools and materials. Even the most skilled of artists will struggle to create their best work with low quality equipment.
This doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune though. It’s about spending your money on the right things and making sure you buy what you need not what people do a really good job of selling you.
There are a couple of big tool related mistakes that I’ve made. Hopefully, you can learn from my errors.
Mistake 1.
Spending £21 of three ‘printing plates’ that turned out to be thin pieces of plastic that warped and scratched very quickly.
I assumed that the price meant that they would be half decent. I wasn’t looking for professional level plates - I was just starting out - but I soon realise that I could have gotten a better result with a piece of plate glass from one of my broken frames or a piece of white acrylic from my dad’s garage stash.
When you’re buying something like this, stop and think. Is this a specialist piece of equipment or can I use something else?
Mistake 2.
Saving a few quid on a larger ink roller.
Again, this purchase was made very much at the hobby stage. I share a reel showing how rubbish it was on Instagram a few months ago and it went viral.
There were lots of suggestions abut what I was doing wrong (some more observant than others) but the long and short of it was that the tool bent in the middle as I was inking so the ink didn't transfer to the block, No amount of skill would have changed that fact.
In this case, spending a little more would have resulted in having a tools that was properly supported through the centre of the roller and therefore it would have held its shape.
I know it can be a bit of a minefield starting a new hobby and thinking you need to buy all of the things before you get started so I have put together this Free tools guide for you. Not only will it save you money, but it will help you understand the absolute minimum equipment you need to get started with Lino print.
When you join my mailing list and click ‘workshops’ on the preference list, you’ll also receive a shopping list that gives you direct links to all my favourite supplies and shows you the cheapest combos. Just click here to join.