Selecting Wood for Relief Printing

 By Jim Hingst 
@hingst_jim

There is a wide range of soft wood, hardwood, plywood and medium density fiberboard panels suitable for woodblock relief printing.  The ancient Japanese used dried cherry wood planks for their prints. In 15^th century Europe, printers, such as Albrecht Dürer, used pear for their woodcuts. Both cherry and pear are hardwoods, which hold fine lines when carved, and maintain their detail after repeated printings. Other hardwoods can also be used. These include maple, birch, beech, walnut.

Soft woods, such as basswood, pine and poplar, can also be used for relief printing. The drawback in using these softer materials is that they are generally not capable of holding fine detail and not durable enough to withstand the rigors of repeated use. Some of the softer woods are also prone to splintering as you are carving. In a pinch, though, they are more reasonably priced and readily available.

Supplies of pine are abundant. Be aware that there are many species of pine, each with its own unique properties. While a rose is a rose is a rose, it’s not that way with pine. Among woodcarvers, sugar pine is well regarded. It is a soft, lightweight wood that is known for its dimensional stability and workability. It is a good wood for carving, because it has a straight grain. Other types of pine can give you fits. With some species of pine, the wood is prone to shrinking, warping and twisting.

Nothing beats a solid piece of hardwood for holding detail. Price and availability, however, are often considerations in product selection.  When this is the case, manufactured wood panels are also an affordable alternatives to hardwood blocks. For very large woodcuts, many artists use plywood or medium density fiberboard or MDF.

Medium Density Fiberboard or MDF as well as plywood are classified as engineered wood products. MDF is not to be confused with particleboard.  These are two different products. MDF is comprised of much smaller particles of wood, along with wax and a resin that binds everything together.  It is much denser, heavier and much stronger than particle board.

Compared with wood blocks and plywood, MDF has no knots, surface imperfections or wood grain to contend with. Because there is no grain, you don’t have to worry about tear out when you are carving. You cannot, however, maintain the same level of detail as real wood or plywood. MDF will also dull your carving tools much faster.

Plywood is another engineered wood product. It is comprised of many different wood veneer layers or plies, which are glued together. Available in many different product types, plywood is actually stronger and more stable than a solid plank of wood. What gives it its strength is that the plies are cross grained, meaning that the grain direction alternates from one ply to another.

For relief printing, the outer veneer of the plywood is what is important. The best product for carving is cherry plywood.  Cherry is a hard wood that can hold detail. In purchasing wood for relief carving, your best bet is to buy from a supplier to the printing market rather than a lumber yard.

One type of plywood that is popular among Japanese printers is Shina Plywood. Made from a type of Linden tree, this plywood is very even grained and virtually blemish free. Shina is a soft wood, similar to basswood in the U.S., only denser, harder and capable of holding finer detail. Typically, Shina plywood can be carved on both sides of the board. If you intend to carve both sides, you should tape a heavy piece of board to prevent denting of the wood.

Many artists love wood for prints because its texture and grain can give their work a unique, natural feel. Not everyone feels this way. Picasso, for example, hated using wood for relief printing. For him, the unexpected results that wood would sometimes impart on the finished print, didn’t give the print additional character. Instead, he felt that it was a flaw that detracted from the prints appearance. That’s why Picasso opted to use linoleum instead of wood.

Linoleum is made from a mixture of linseed oil, pine rosin, ground cork dust, wood flour along with mineral fillers, such as calcium carbonate.  Be aware that the mineral fillers will dull your carving knives quickly. For relief printing, you can order this substrate either as loose sheets or mounted to a board.

If you want evaluate the suitability of a product for your printing requirements, it is best to test as a sample. As I tell people, Test, Don’t Guess. Some suppliers will provide you with free samples just for the asking.

Storage

Wood is a natural material. It can absorb moisture and lose it. As it does, a woodblock expands and contracts. When block warps or distorts, it is unusable for relief printing. Store the substrate that you are using for woodcuts in a controlled environment, away from high heat and moisture. Panels should be stored flat. As one wood expert told me, if you want a piece of wood to stay flat, store it flat. 

An excellent source of tools and materials for relief carving is:

McClain's Printmaking Supplies

15685 SW 116th Avenue PMB 202

King City, OR 97224-2695

www.imcclains.com

800.832.4264 

International: 00.1.503.641.3555

RECOMMENDED READING

The Woodcut Artist's Handbook: Techniques and Tools for Relief Printmaking 

Making Woodblock Prints

Japanese Woodblock Print Workshop: A Modern Guide to the Ancient Art of Mokuhanga

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Selecting Wood for Relief Printing
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Clean Up After Relief Printing

About Jim Hingst: After fourteen years as Business Development Manager at RTape, Jim Hingst retired. He was involved in many facets of the company’s business, including marketing, sales, product development and technical service.

Hingst began his career 42 years ago in the graphic arts field creating and producing advertising and promotional materials for a large test equipment manufacturer.  Working for offset printers, large format screen printers, vinyl film manufacturers, and application tape companies, his experience included estimating, production planning, purchasing and production art, as well as sales and marketing. In his capacity as a salesman, Hingst was recognized with numerous sales achievement awards.

Drawing on his experience in production and as graphics installation subcontractor, Hingst provided the industry with practical advice, publishing more than 150 articles for  publications, such as  Signs Canada, SignCraft,  Signs of the Times, Screen Printing, Sign and Digital Graphics and  Sign Builder Illustrated. He also posted more than 400 stories on his blog (hingstssignpost.blogspot.com). In 2007 Hingst’s book, Vinyl Sign Techniques, was published.  Vinyl Sign Techniques is available at sign supply distributors and at Amazon. 

Slides of Jim's Artwork

© 2017 Jim Hingst