(Part 2) Top products from r/printmaking

You should be able to print this, even with your limitations. Oil based inks are safe to clean up by

1. physically scraping up/wiping up as much as you can before adding anything to clean it.
   
   
2. a little vegetable oil to clean up the ink
   
   
3. a little bit of a spray kitchen cleaner, like simple green, to clean the vegetable oil.
   
   I know people that print relief by hand on fabric, you will need to put the block face down on top of the shirt and press from the back. Look up srmprints on Instagram, she posts lots of process shots.
   
   I would pull a nice one or two, the repost the Etsy listing with new photos and describing the product as handmade with natural variations to cover your bum, then as long as it looks cool you are fine.
   
   If you want to screenprint, get a copy of Screenprintig Today, he talks about how to set up “shop” on the cheap and DIY. screenprinting today by Andy MacDougall

In my opinion (and I hold an MA in printmaking, with years of focusing on etching exclusively), Crown Point Press is the authority for all things etching-related; and they've published several incredible volumes detailing the techniques they use in their studio, the "Magical Secrets" series. Here's the one on line etching & engraving. The others are on general etching, aquatint, and chine colle. I personally own the aquatint and chin colle ones, and really can't recommend them highly enough.

Printmaking: History and Process is another title that comes to mind, and a book I think every shop should have a copy of. It's from the 70s and so won't cover any of the digital hybrid techniques that have become so popular over the last few decades... but for a detailed overview of those parts our craft which haven't changed much in centuries, I know no better reference. It's been out of print for some time now, so you'll probably only be able to find used copies—but good news is, it looks like the prices on those have come down some. I paid $40 for a used copy a few years back and thought that was a steal at the time.
Good luck!

Printmaking: Methods Old and New https://www.amazon.com/dp/0025960601/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_DXWWzbS50GDJE

Out of print , but look for best used price

1. You don't necessarily need to know how to draw well. It depends on what kind of prints you want to make. Most people sketch out a preliminary drawing and transfer it onto their printing matrix in some way. You can use graphite transfer paper to trace an image onto a block for relief printing.
   
   
2. I think the easiest way to start would be with relief printing. You can get a basic starter kit like this one. It's got everything you need to get started, plus some extras.
   
   
3. Beginner techniques for relief printing:
   
   

1. Sketch your image. Draw/transfer it onto your block.
   
   
2. Carve your block with the gauge. Remember, whatever you carve away will not get ink on it. The surface you leave alone will be what transfers the ink. Also remember your image will be reversed on the paper. If you're carving text, it needs to be backwards on the block so it prints correctly on the paper.
   
   
3. Get your ink ready for rolling. Squeeze some ink out of your tube. Use something like a putty knife to spread the ink into a horizontal stripe. Use your brayer to roll a section of that stripe down so you also have a vertical stripe. Roll the ink up and down this stripe several times until you have a nice, even layer. This is hard to explain but you should have a "T" of ink, essentially. Two perpendicular stripes of ink.
   
   
4. Inking time! Roll your brayer over your block and watch that image appear! Roll from top to bottom and use even pressure across the entire block. You may need to pick up more ink by rolling your brayer over your vertical stripe from step 3 again.
   
   
5. Make your print. Press your paper down on top of your block. Apply pressure without moving the paper. You can use your hands, a wooden spoon, a bone folder, a baren, or a printing press. It comes down to personal preference and how much you want to invest. I have this little press, but I've found that I prefer hand pressure for small prints. I'll use my press if I've been working for hours and my fingers are about to fall off.
   
   
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5. You will probably make several test prints before you make one really good one. And then the challenge is making several prints that all look similar enough to be in the same edition.
   
   That's about as basic as printmaking gets. And yes, there are techniques that are way more difficult. Etching is a whole different beast from relief printing. Aquatint etchings drove me insane at school, but the results when done right are breathtakingly beautiful. And I don't even know entirely how lithographs are made.
   
   I know this is a lot to absorb from a reddit comment, so if there are any classes offered near you, I highly recommend taking some!

You need to get some block-printing ink. For easy cleanup (don't need any chemicals, just water) maybe grab some [Speedball]
(https://www.amazon.co.uk/Speedball-Block-Ink-Starter-Set/dp/B000J09PFM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505579138&sr=8-1&keywords=speedball+block+printing+ink) to get you started. :)

Here's also a short video about inking techniques for water-based ink.

the printmaking bible is a good overall package, also nontoxic intaglio printmaking, if you do intaglio, because, even though it might be a little outdated, you neeeeeeeed not forget how toxic printmaking can be.

https://www.amazon.com/Printmaking-Bible-Complete-Materials-Techniques/dp/0811862283/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505943667&sr=1-1&keywords=printmaking+bible

https://www.amazon.com/Non-Toxic-Intaglio-Printmaking-Keith-Howard/dp/0968354106/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505943608&sr=1-3&keywords=nontoxic+printmaking

after a bit of googling, it's definitely this book: http://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Techniques-Contemporary-Printmaking-Handbooks/dp/0824829913

There are other kits on amazon by speedball that are like $10 and $20 that will be enough to let you know if you're even interested in things like linocut... They're not precisely linocut, as it's not technically linoleum, but the process is the same. (Though the $10 one doesn't come with any kind of ink.) Otherwise, you can get cheap carving tools and blocks and ink separately, but the kits make it convenient to just get started.

There are several variables that come into play, but you should be able to get 10-15 quality prints in any case, and maybe more. The two main factors are pressure (required to transfer the ink) and abrasion (from cleaning, etc)

Things that affect longevity would be:

1. greater detail = faster degradation. Unfortunately. You can hand-print on thinner paper, and this will decrease the pressure on fragile lines.
   
2. carving style. If you carve deeply, without a widening base to support the linoleum, it will crumble faster.
   
3. number of runs. The more you wash and scrub your block, the shorter its lifespan will be.
   
   Check out this complete guide to printmaking for pros/cons and how-to's for many types of printmaking.
   
   I can send you some other good resources when I get home..