Traditional vs. Easy-Carve Lino: Which Is Best for Beginners?
Traditional lino is great for fine detail.
If you’re curious about lino printing, you’ll quickly discover there are many types of lino to carve but two are most often used in beginners workshops: traditional grey battleship lino and easy-carve or soft cut.
Both have their strengths, but they feel very different to work with. Here’s a quick comparison and why I use both types of lino in different workshops.
1. Ease of Carving
Traditional lino: Firm and slightly brittle, especially when cold. It takes more pressure and sharper tools to carve, which can be tiring on the hands, however it has a pleasing snap which allows for more control. Warm lino and sharp tools = a happy carving experience. Top Tip: stain your lino to see where you have carved.
Easy-carve lino: Softer and more flexible, making it far easier to cut—even for complete beginners. However it has a stretch to it making it trickier to make precise cuts. Easy carve cannot be stained which can be hard on the eyes.
👉 If you’re starting out, easy-carve can be less daunting and better if you have any issues with your hands such as arthritis.
Easy carve needs less pressure but it can be tricky to see where you’ve carved.
2. Level of Detail
Traditional lino: Holds fine lines and delicate detail beautifully. Experienced printmakers love it for crisp, precise designs.
Easy-carve lino: Better suited to bold, graphic shapes. Very thin lines can stretch or distort a little when printing.
👉 If you love intricate detail, traditional lino is the winner—but for bold fabric prints, easy-carve shines.
3. Printing Possibilities
Traditional lino: Works brilliantly for prints on paper and can be used for reduction or multi block printing with beautiful clarity and control.
Easy-carve lino: Flexible enough to cut with scissors or craft knives, making it perfect for jigsaw lino printing and great for fabric projects as you can easily remove excess lino for a cleaner design.
Easy carve lino can be easily cut to make colourful prints.
👉 Beginners tip: try several types of lino and choose which you prefer. I find different types suit different projects.
Overall I love to work and teach with traditional lino but I will always recommend a vinyl or easy carve style for jigsaw lino and fabric printing projects.
Want to see the difference for yourself?
Join us at Ely Museum on Saturday 20th September for our Print Your Own Lampshade Workshop—where you’ll carve, print, and transform your fabric into something truly unique.
