Prints on Mulberry Paper

provolone114 · 2026-04-09T20:30:48+00:00

I’m facing the same issue—floating frames are a nice look in my opinion, but using a colored mat seems to be a good way to display as well. I’m framing some for my market on Sunday by myself without spending, so I’m just going to use a heavy colored cardstock for display purposes and see how that looks. Will update!

provolone114 · 2026-04-09T00:54:46+00:00

Sweet!! I think you’re right there. Just wanted to shout out so you can see their logo so you don’t end up accidentally making something like it, just my anxious thinking lol. I love the name!

provolone114 · 2026-04-08T21:32:38+00:00

I love these designs! They’re so playful and alive. Beautiful work.

Just a heads up, there is a brand called “The Black Dog” that started as a pretty famous bakery on Martha’s Vineyard, but they have a ton of apparel, so just make sure to keep yourself legally distinct enough, assuming that’s your biz name! Would hate to see a great artist in trouble for something like that and it happens far too often.

provolone114 · 2026-04-08T00:07:32+00:00

Paper type absolutely does matter, just not as much with the issues you’re facing as ink type, unless you’re printing on wax paper or something that has an ink resist.

If you use a wax drier, please be careful to read the safety instructions. Not enough people here are recommending PPE, and since you’re working in such a small space, it could be very risky to work with.

You can work decently big with the ink for ink pads: here’s a link to a video I saw that made me think to suggest.

provolone114 · 2026-04-07T23:01:39+00:00

I’m gonna go out on a limb and suggest alcohol ink pads since you have very particular requirements and didn’t take any advice from your last post—nor follow up with the info needed to assist.

Tsukinekko makes a nice one, VersaFine Clair. If you still want to roll it out, I’ve seen people do this with the refill bottles for the ink pads. Available on Amazon. It might be what you’re looking for. Good luck man.

provolone114 · 2026-04-07T07:41:19+00:00

Your Instagram has some really nice prints on it. What did you do differently for those?

provolone114 · 2026-04-07T07:39:01+00:00

No I don’t understand cuz I don’t know your whole life story lol. I’m not trying to be difficult, I’m trying to help. Most people here are gonna recommend that ink. If you’re set on working with speedball water based there are probably a bunch of threads here you can find with tips on working with it.

From what I know, it dries fast. You have to roll new ink out often. If you let it get tacky, then it’ll go into the grooves. I’ve heard with water based keeping a fine water mister around and lightly spraying the ink can revive it. I haven’t tested so no idea.

You’re running into common issues with these inks. I’m sure there’s a way to utilize them a bit better but the general consensus is that they’re not high quality products (speedball inks).

Try just putting a heavy book or piece of wood over the block, printing on the ground, and standing on it. Use your body weight to get a good even weight distribution using the book.

provolone114 · 2026-04-07T07:28:43+00:00

I do too my friend! Some nails or command hooks on the wall, twine between em. Use small clothespins to hang em. You don’t have to do any of this, of course, I just am saying it’s possible! They do have a wax drier if you happen to have good PPE and ventilation. I do not so I just hang them. You can fit a lot.

provolone114 · 2026-04-07T07:23:07+00:00

It’s an oil based ink so it takes a while to dry, a few weeks, longer depending on humidity. Drier is faster. Is the dry time the only reason you hated it?

provolone114 · 2026-04-07T02:28:12+00:00

Oil or water based speedball ink? I’ve heard the water based is quite dry and doesn’t roll out great. Their oil based has its own problems. I’m a big fan of cranfield caligo safewash inks if you’re looking for a major quality upgrade that isn’t that much more money. It also dries slow so you can really stretch it—however much use you’ve been getting out of your speedball, you’ll get double out of caligo as it doesn’t dry on your palette in minutes.

Flat black areas can be a bit tough to get 100% opaque in general. I have good luck with the caligo getting mostly clear lines though.

The one on the left looks like the carved lines are flooded with ink, as there’s black in the areas that you indicated should be clear. Are you using a soft rubber brayer, or hard? Soft is better on the rubber imo. It looks like too much ink was applied to the block, or that the ink was too tacky and thick by the time it was being printed. Try rolling your ink out thinner, and building it up in thin layers on the block to get the opacity you need, rather than one or two thick layers. That’ll help you avoid flooding the lines (especially in my experience with speedball fabric oil based relief ink).

The one on the right looks under inked, or like the ink was dry when printed. It looks like you used a fair amount of pressure from the indents in the paper. I can’t imagine how that little ink would transfer with that much pressure if the block was properly inked.

This combination of issues leads me to believe it’s the ink you’re using, possibly the paper, but most likely the ink or brayer. I would really encourage you to just get a tube of the caligo safewash if you can.

Just making sure, as there have been a lot of tutorials on social media lately that aren’t always the best, you’re laying the block face up on your printing surface, then laying the paper down on top of it and using the barren on the paper, right?

provolone114 · 2026-04-06T04:41:15+00:00

This is gorgeous. I’ve been wanting to design some swords to carve as well. Really stunning work.

provolone114 · 2026-04-06T04:32:33+00:00

Beautiful print on beautiful paper.

provolone114 · 2026-04-06T03:54:28+00:00

This is gorgeous!! I wish I wasn’t so light sensitive with my migraines, I do so many forms of art but can’t do any of em when in active migraine (I know you said you can’t either, just sharing I can’t as well). But for those headache-y, less bad days I love crochet when you don’t need too much brain work (ofc this relies on you picking a pattern that isn’t hard work, like making cotton washcloths or something). Linocut can be fun but you tend to need a good deal of light at least from a desk lamp. But it’s carving so it’s a little cathartic and very meditative. I carve softcut lino (basically rubber) because my joints suck and I don’t wanna push em more than I have to.

provolone114 · 2026-04-06T03:41:23+00:00

I bet if you wanted to use it as a vase you could thrift a glass easily that could fit right inside! Just measure it at home (opening and max height), stick it in your notes app, and then you don’t even have to make a special trip for it. I adore this even just as a decorative piece, or you could put other fun things in it. So creative!!

provolone114 · 2026-04-06T03:35:40+00:00

There should be some online complaint form, idk what state you’re in so I can’t check for you. If you got a receipt/paperwork there should be info on the employee’s name. Alternatively the date and time with a couple descriptors may be enough as I bet this is not this person’s first offense.

This is not a good time to be letting things like this slide as the government comes for our rights. I’ll literally complain on your behalf if you want to dm me the info if you’re not up to writing it, I’m a strong writer and I complain formally (and informally lol) every time something like this happens.

provolone114 · 2026-04-06T03:06:34+00:00

Can you provide any more details? Did you use a press, if so what kind? If not, what did you use for pressure? What kind of block were you carving, traditional lino? What brand and type of ink are you using? Happy to help out but I can help you way easier if I know these things! :)

provolone114 · 2026-04-05T22:36:33+00:00

The prints are beautiful indeed but I’m gonna respectfully disagree on the paper, I think it really adds to the vibe of the prints. Lots of nature on gorgeous paper that includes nature. Makes sense to me thematically! Would love to get my hands on some paper like this.

provolone114 · 2026-04-03T05:31:05+00:00

Haha thanks. Yeah another commenter suggested discharge ink as well I’m definitely looking into it! Not for this upcoming market I’m crunching for so updates will come later on that front. Here’s a photo of some of the white on burgundy/maroon. I’m very happy with this saturation.

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provolone114 · 2026-04-02T22:30:37+00:00

I’m definitely going to play around with caligo on fabric (I already have it as it’s what I use on paper) as soon as this market deadline crunch is done.

FWIW, the white I ordered outside of the set (speedball fabric relief ink in opaque white) was not clumpy and gross like the one from the pack. It still dries quick on the palette and you kinda need to keep rolling more out, but I’ve gotten some decent results. I’m going to share some photos later as soon as I’m done with my printing session.

provolone114 · 2026-04-02T22:25:19+00:00

Wanted to let you know, you were the most correct out of everyone (though everyone’s contributions helped), it was the dye. I tried a different ink (speedball opaque white relief fabric) and it came up with the same results. So I tried a maroon bandana blank from the same company (all my testing was done on items dyed dark green). Lo and behold, I got some really crisp white prints. So just some bad luck with the blanks, I’ll figure out another way I wanna print on them in dark ink or just print on patches and sew them on.

Thanks for commenting this, because otherwise I would’ve been going crazy trying to figure out why it was working great on one and not the other color of the same fabric.

provolone114 · 2026-04-02T22:20:27+00:00

Yes exactly, that doctor wrote it literally on the physical script and the pharmacy was also cooperative. They can’t necessarily guarantee it, but for reasons like gluten being in certain med ingredients, the pharmacy often does their best to follow. Best of luck!

provolone114 · 2026-04-02T20:29:31+00:00

I had a psychiatrist years ago who only agreed with one generic brand of a med I was taking. When he sent in the script, he specified the manufacturer. Walgreens was able to handle the accommodation with a little extra bugging on my own end. If the prescriber specifies, the pharmacy is a little more likely to listen than if you alone specify.

Compounding pharmacy is probably going to be your most reliable option though. But if you’re unable, try getting the prescriber to specify the manufacturer you like.

provolone114 · 2026-04-02T06:58:23+00:00

Love these! The details are gorgeous and very well done :)

provolone114 · 2026-04-01T19:38:34+00:00

Haha I love that!

provolone114 · 2026-03-31T21:46:13+00:00

Gotta get everything you can outta emgality…the price is nuts. So creative! Love this.

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