A piece of linoleum forms the basis for a printing technique whereby a picture is gouged in a piece of linoleum using sharp metal cutting tools. This image on the lino is then inked up and printed onto paper.

Tips for using lino: lightly scuff the surface with steel wool before beginning to give a slight tooth, this helps the ink adhere to the lino. When working on a small piece of lino, (such as greeting card or bookmark size) glue the lino onto a larger piece of board or heavyweight strawboard to prevent curling and to avoid finger cuts.

If you are doing reduction printing, use a two hole punch to put holes in the base of the cardboard, place split pins through these, tape them across the back to secure and use them as a fast registering device. Make matching holes in your print paper and you'll be amazed how much time you save.