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How to Use Vinyl Tiles for Print Making
- 1). Apply adhesive to the right side of your vinyl tile. Wood glue or PVA adhesive works best. Place tile, adhesive side down, on wooden block. Press firmly to adhere and allow the block to dry.
- 2). Draw the block's outline on tracing paper. Trace or draw the design you want to print inside the traced border; use an extra-sharp pencil. Place your completed design face-down on the vinyl tile. Use your traced outline to properly align the tracing paper.
- 3). Trace over your design with an extra-sharp pencil. This will transfer your design to the tile's surface. Remove tracing paper and draw over faint lines on the tile.
- 4). Cut out your design. Use your wood engraving or linoleum carving tools to cut into the vinyl and create your relief plate. Before you begin cutting, decide how you want your image to look. For line art, cut away tile around your traced lines. For block images, cut away your traced lines. When cutting, be careful not to gouge to deeply.
- 5). Clean your carved block with toner to remove vinyl dust and pencil marks.
- 6). Squeeze some printing ink onto your piece of glass. Roll your brayer over the ink, first from left to right, and then from top to bottom to evenly distribute ink. Load your brayer with a thin layer of ink; if the brayer is too full, your printed image will not look precise.
- 7). Apply a thin, even coat of ink to your vinyl block. Gently roll your brayer across the block from left to right and top to bottom. When your block is well-inked, position a piece of printmaking paper on top of it.
- 8). Press the image into the paper with your rolling pin. While applying moderate pressure, roll the pin over the block's entire surface. Peel the finished print from your block and allow to dry.
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