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Your woodblock is inked. The paper is cut,

and you’ve created a jig to align the two.

It is time to hand print a proof.

Tape your jig to a table and lay your freshly inked block

inside the cutout.

Align the printing paper using the jig’s masking tape guides.

Curl the sheet away from the inky block so you can first set the

paper’s edge against the lip of the masking tape.

Then, lower the sheet over the carving.

It helps to keep one hand firmly on the paper to prevent

shifting. Rub the back of the paper with a hard,

smooth implement.

The blunt edge of a wooden spoon works well.

Start from the center of the image and work outward.

Move in small concentric circles and apply medium downward

pressure. Thin papers are best for hand printing.

They readily accept ink.

The image is discernible through the sheet, so you can easily track

your progress. As you see,

I already rubbed this area into the ink.

Knowing when you stop printing on opaque paper is more

challenging.

Gauge your process by gently pulling the paper back at the corners,

but don’t let it slip while you take a peek.

Pull straight up when removing the print.

Take the paper’s opposite corners between two fingers and lift it up

and away. Examine the quality of the impression.

You aim to pull prints with solid color and crisp,

clean lines.

Roll a bit more ink on next time

if your solid areas look spotty.

Too much ink or shifty paper while printing will cause a

blotched or blurry image. The first proofs will be messy

because you are new to the process.

You’ll get the hang of it after pulling a few.

I call them proofs because they preview the final image.

Carve more and fix mistakes if needed.

Remember to clean the block before diving in with chisels again.

In another video, I’ll show you how.

Congratulations on creating your first print.

Thank you for watching.

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