The equipment required is minimal and not highly technical. The basic technique comes from the art of making woodcut prints over the past centuries.
- Paper
Clean smooth paper, such as 20# copier or laser printer paper, works well. I have tried various types of paper and card stock and decided that this paper is more than adequate. A ream of 500 sheets at an office supply is relatively low priced. Heavier papers and card stock are more durable and impressive for the client but the images are not significantly better.
- Ink
Ask for "water soluble ink for block printing" at hobby supply stores. Black is preferable but I have used red, green, and blue also. Of course you can have a lot of fun with red ink. For example, you can ask, "Would you like your hand 'red'?"
- Block and Roller
Linoleum blocks and ink rollers also are available at hobby supply stores. The block need not be bigger than 6 x 9 inches, and is usually 3/4 to 1 inch thick. A smooth roller 4 inches wide and 1 inch diameter works well. Wash them with soap and water after each use. Over time they will become stained but that is not a problem. Just insure that no dried ink is left to make patterns or bumps in the fresh ink.
Procedure to Make Hand Ink Prints
