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Arts Safety – Relief Printing

Relief printing techniques include woodcuts, linoleum cuts and acrylic plates for plaster relief. These techniques involve the cutting away of plate areas that are not to be printed. Relief inks can be oil-based or water-based.

Things to Consider

Hazards

  1. Some woods used for woodcuts can cause skin irritation and/or allergies. This is particularly true of tropical hardwoods.
  2. Accidents involving sharp tools can result in cuts.
  3. Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) is sometimes used for etching linoleum. It can cause skin burns and severe eye damage if splashed in the eyes.
  4. Eating, drinking or smoking while printing are not allowed.
  5. Hazardous solvents are used in stopouts and resists in linoleum etching, and for cleaning up after printing with oil-based inks.

 

Precautions

  1. Obtain the SDS for all materials used.
  2. See Acids and Solvents sections for precautions with acids and solvents.
  3. Water-based inks are preferable to oil-based inks since solvents are not needed.
  4. Wear appropriate gloves, goggles and protective apron when handling caustic soda.
  5. If chemical is spilled on your skin, wash with copious amounts of water. In case of eye contact, rinse the eyes with water for at least l5-20 minutes and contact a physician.
  6. Always cut in a direction away from you, with your free hand on the side or behind the hand with the tool.
  7. Hand fatigue can be minimized or avoided by using tools with wide handles, avoiding tight grips, and rest periods.

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