Intaglio Printmaker’s Gift Guide

It’s that time of year again! As Christmas is just round the corner, we’ve rounded some of our most popular tools, sets and own brand specialist supplies that make great gifts. With so much for the artist printmaker in our shop, here are some of our favourite picks: 

Intaglio Printmaker’s Own Brand Aprons & Tool Rolls

Aprons

A great gift for any artist or printmaker, our classic tie back apron is made from 100% heavy cotton canvas, has four stitched pockets to keep tools and supplies close whilst working, and an adjustable neck tie for a more tailored fit: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/apron

Tool Rolls

Our Tool Rolls are ideal for printmakers on the go, or for simply storing your tools safely at home or in the studio. Like our aprons, they are made from heavy cotton canvas, have 20 pockets for individual tools and two larger pockets. Open they measure 39cm x 32.5cm: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/tool-roll

Handmade Tools

Glass Barens

These beautiful glass barens are ideal for relief printing and make a very special gift for printmakers. Whether you are pressing linocuts or woodblocks, they make the process effortless. Handmade in the UK, each one is individually coloured and totally unique. They also serve as stunning decorative pieces of art in their own right: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/glass-baren

Agate Pencil Burnisher

These natural stone agate pencil-type burnishers are great for polishing areas of light into pre-mezzotinted copper plates. The hard agate tip, unlike a steel burnisher, polishes without scratching. Agates can be cleaned by rubbing on the flesh side of a piece of leather coated with whiting, or breathed on and polished with a piece of silk before use. A beautiful addition to any printmaker’s tool rotation! https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/agate-pencil-burnisher

Stocking Fillers

Intaglio Printmaker Registration Pins & Tabs

A handy and affordable printmaking stocking filler. Used together, our own brand steel registration pins and tabs are used to achieve accurate alignment of multi-block and reduction relief prints. The pin size is 30mm x 55mm. The raised button has a diameter of 6mm (0.24″) and a height of 2mm (0.079″). Tabs are available in packs of 10 or 100. Keep on hand in the pocket of your tool roll or apron!
https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/intaglio-printmaker-registration-pins
https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/intaglio-printmaker-registration-tabs

SlipStrop

A great sharpening starting option for any relief printmaker, the Flexcut SlipStrop is an easy way for maintaining razor edge sharpness of tools. The SlipStrop has been specially moulded to allow for polishing and deburring the hard to reach areas on the inside of V and U gouge tools as well as the outside edge bevel. The SlipStrop includes a small bar of Flexcut Gold polishing compound, which has been specially formulated to quickly polish hardened steel. Sharpening instructions are included:  https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/slipstrop/

Holly Wood

A wonderfully festive edition to our family of end-grain woodblocks, Holly Wood is particularly favoured for its pale, creamy colour, resulting in any engraved lines showing up in strong contrast under the darker surface. It holds detailed line work beautifully, whilst remaining smooth and easy to engrave. Highly recommend for beginners and experienced engravers alike. These irregular shaped wood blocks come in sizes small, medium and large: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/holly-wood-shapes

Sharpening Card

This Extra Fine 9 micron (1200 mesh) Sharpening Card is perfectly suited to the flat‑profile sharpening required for traditional wood engraving tools. The extra fine surface gives smooth sharpening without catching or uneven abrasion. It produces a clean, polished profile ideal for gravers, spitstickers, and other engraving tools helping them cut crisply through end‑grain blocks. At 8.2 × 5 cm, the size of a credit card, it’s compact and portable – just the right size for a handy little gift: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/sharpening-card

Ink Sets

We have several ink sets to choose from in our shop. Caligo’s beautifully boxed sets of Safe Wash Relief Inks are a popular, versatile choice that can be used at home or in the studio for lino, monoprint or woodblock printing. They are oil-based, but are easily washed with soapy water, hence the name. Choose from the following two sets:

Caligo Safe Wash Relief Ink Set:
Includes all the basic primary colours – Process Blue, Process Red, Process Yellow, Black, White and a tube of extender. Think of it as an introductory starter kit into the Caligo inks: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/caligo-safe-wash-relief-ink-set/  

Soft Shades Set:
The second set available from Caligo comes with 6 new ready mixed soft shades to add to a printmaker’s growing ink colour collection – Powder Blue, Sage Green, Soft Pink, Pale Violet, Peach and Mustard Yellow: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/caligo-safe-wash-relief-ink-soft-shades-set

Schmincke Aqua Ink Sets

Schmincke Aqua inks are a popular water based ink for use in relief printing. Highly pigmented and a little goes a long way. The handy tubes make them easy to carry to the studio and back, and they are also ideal for home use as they clean up extremely easily with water. Available as a set of 5: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/schmincke-aqua-linoprint-set/

Tool Sets

Inexpensive Pencil Type Cutter Set

The Inexpensive Pencil Type Cutter Set is a great starter kit of carving knives and gouge tools. It is a classic choice for both lino and woodcut printmakers with 5 tools for under £14: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/inexpensive-pencil-type-cutters/

Set of 6 Swiss Cutting Tools by Pfeil

For the more experienced relief cutters, this Set of 6 Swiss Cutting Tools by Pfeil is the perfect gift. Each tool has a beautifully honed mushroom handle made from pearwood. These tools can be used for lino, vinyl and wood and are precisely ground and polished. All tools are forged from steel which guarantees high strength and a razor sharp cut. This set has a range of U and V gouges, ranging from large to fine – https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/set-of-6-swiss-cutting-tools/

Printmaking Kits

Our much loved printing kits make a wonderful gift for any budding printmaker.

The Relief Printing Kit is an ideal starter box and includes everything you need to create your first print, from start to finish. It also comes with instructions to help you on your way and everything fits into a lovely kraft box. Can be used to print at home or from a studio.

The Drypoint Kit is also a great starting point for anyone wanting to dabble in drypoint. For this kit you will need access to a press to be able to print the plates. This set includes: an Artenia Junior Drypoint 3mm tool, a plastic ink knife, a squeegee, plates for printing, scrim, gloves, blotter, paper and a tube of ink. All of this packed with instructions.

Traditional Relief Printing Kit – https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/traditional-relief-printing-kit/

Caligo Drypoint Printing Kit – https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/caligo-drypoint-printing-kit

Cards & Sketchbooks

Fabriano Medioevalis Cards

If you’d like to make and gift your own cards, the Fabriano Medioevalis card packs are perfect for just that. Medioevalis is a high quality mould-made paper produced by Fabriano since 1904. The cards come with four deckled edges, hand trimmed from watermarked sheets. Each pack comes with 20 cards and 20 envelopes, available in 3 sizes – https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/fabriano-medioevalis-card-envelope-packs/

Khadi Paper Packs

Handmade in Karnataka, South India, Khadi papers are mostly created from recycled cotton rags or jute sacks. These ethically made papers provide unique surfaces for printmaking and painting, and are a particularly popular choice for relief print. Available in various sizes and weights of 150g, 210g and 320g, Khadi Paper Packs are a handy choice for making and gifting your own prints. They are also available in card and envelope packs https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/khadi-papers

The Hahnemühle Sketchbook Diary

Perhaps you know an artist who travels a lot, who is always on the go, taking in inspiration wherever they can? The Hahnemühle Sketchbook Diary is right up their street. With the left page lined and the right page plain, it is perfect for jotting down notes and ideas. The spiral binding allows the book to open flat, and there is a pocket in the back with two labels to personalise the front cover. A super affordable stocking filler, it is A6 in size, and fits right into your pocket! – https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/hahnemuehle-sketch-diary/

Specialist Gifts

Intaglio Printmaker Wood Engraving Tools

Intaglio Printmaker worked with artist and engraver Edwina Ellis to develop this range of high quality wood engraving tools. Renowned for her technically elaborate engravings, Edwina has given special care and attention in the creation of these tools, focusing on steel quality, tool length and handle form. These tools would be a very special gift for a wood engraver. Exclusive to Intaglio Printmaker, they are available in Spitstickers, Bullstickers, Round Edge Gravers, Flat Scorpers and Knife Gravers, and are suitable for use on endgrain woods: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/spitstickers

Intaglio Printmaker Complete Roller

Our own brand of rollers are high quality versatile tools made in the UK and are used for the majority of printmaking methods, whether that’s relief, intaglio or applying grounds to your plate. They are made from nitrile PVC which makes them extremely durable, with aluminium cores and brass bushes and bolts. The painted metal frame is designed so that the roller can be rested on the workspace without touching it: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/intaglio-printmaker-complete-roller-200mm/

Dot Tool 

Made by Polish artist Karol Pomykala, this handy little tool was specifically designed for creating ‘dots’ in lino. Available in steel (length 9cm, weight 35g) or waxed oak (weight 8g, length 10.5cm) the angle of the Dot Tool’s sharpened needle allows the points, or ‘dots’ to be made at just the right depth and size in our traditional lino, relief printing Japanese vinyl or softcut vinyl: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/karol-pomykala-dot-tool

Mini Mushroom Dabbers

Handmade in London by printmaker Ruth Greenwood, these Mini Mushroom Leather Dabbers are especially well suited to printmakers working at smaller scales and make a sweet, beautifully made gift. Dabbers are used to push ink into the engraved lines of intaglio plates, and can also be used to apply grounds. Their mini size make them particularly well suited for printmakers working on smaller scale plates: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/mini-mushroom-leather-dabbers/

Gifts under £15

Whether you are shopping for others, or choosing small gifts for yourself, we have it all!

Pre Mezzotinted Copper Plate

Starting for as little as £6.95 for a petite 5 x 6cm plate, these pre-mezzotinted copper plates come wrapped and stamped, each plate rocked with a minimum of 24 complete passes with the mezzotint tool – 2 each in 12 different directions. This creates a deep textured surface for a dense, velvety print. Team with one of our many burnisher tools: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/pre-mezzotinted-copper/

Etching Tools & Burnishers

Here are some etching and burnishing tools that are affordable and practical:

ABIG Etching Needles – https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/abig-etching-needles

Arteina Steel Point – https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/arteina-steel-points/ 

Double Ended Drypoint Twist – https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/double-ended-drypoint-twist/

Ball Burnisher  –  https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/ball-burnisher

Japanese Carbon Ink and Inking Brushes

Essentials for an introduction into Japanese woodcut printing. Carbon Ink is a professional and traditional dense black ink that can be used for woodblock printing (Mokuhanga), drawing and calligraphy. Ink can be used directly from the bottle or can be added to water for a wash effect, and comes in leak-proof topped bottles. 

These Japanese inking brushes are designed for the Mokuhanga process, where water-based inks are applied onto wood blocks. The brushes are dense yet springy allowing for a gentle and consistent application.

Carbon Ink – https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/japanese-carbon-ink

Inking Brushes – https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/japanese-inking-brushes

Japanese Charcoal Ink Stick

This beautifully made charcoal ink stick comes embossed and rounded, ready wrapped in a delicate washi paper covered box. To make ink, the stick is ground against an ink-stone with a small quantity of water to produce a dark liquid which is then applied with an ink brush:  https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/japanese-charcoal-inkstick

Awagami Editioning Papers Sample Pack

The Awagami editioning papers are popular with our relief print customers, and come in a variation of weights and colours. This sample pack contains 2 of each of 10 different Japanese papers, and is a wonderful introduction to the Awagami range. Mostly used for woodcut and linocut print methods, the papers can also be used for calligraphy or painting. An informative guide is included, showing which papers are best used for what methods. The majority of the papers are light enough to be able to print with at home by hand: https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/awagami-editioning-papers-sample-pack

Lino Packs – 7.5 x 7.5cm

Our lino sheets start as small as 7.5 x 7.5cm, individually or as packs of 10. A little pack of 10 and an inexpensive tool would be ideal for a beginner printmaker. We have these small packs available in our grey hessian-backed lino (classic and great for detail) or softcut vinyl (easy to cut and very malleable):

Lino Sheets –https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/lino-sheets

Softcut Vinyl – https://intaglioprintmaker.com/product/softcut-vinyl

Books