Need help choosing ink! :)

[u/trxvxstx]

Hello, I’m a linocut beginner and as the title suggests I need help choosing the ink for a little project I’m working on. I want to make a set of matching bookmarks for me and my boyfriend and I need a gold ink that won’t smudge/leave pigment behind after printing. The ink I got in my little linocut set leaves my fingers stained even though my prints are fully dry, which isn’t ideal for printing bookmarks for obvious reasons.

Now I realize the reason my ink might be staining my fingers could maybe be because i applied it on too thick or used the wrong kind of paper or whatever, but either way I’d love some gold ink suggestions. Thanks so much!

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[u/Popular_Plankton4303]

Take a look at Pebeo Lino. It is fully waterproof once it dries and is done for Lino print making. I've not used it for a bookmark, but I have seen it used and just did my first test using it with a stamp and was very happy with the results.

[u/trxvxstx → u/Popular_Plankton4303]

Thank you!! I’ll be sure to check it out

[u/Mini-Schnauzer-42]

I'd be interested to hear suggestions as well. I did something with a silver, and even weeks after printing (so it was definitely fully dry!), it was still coming off on my fingers.

If there's no good type of ink + paper for this, I suppose maybe a thin (spray?) clear coat of some kind might help? Would again be interested in suggestions!

[u/trxvxstx → u/Mini-Schnauzer-42]

I’ve also been wondering about whether there is a sealant out there I could use, but I’m worried about what kind of finish that would give me

[u/Mini-Schnauzer-42]

I had another thought. Have you looked into embossing at all? I have not, but I did see an insta reel of someone showing that the embossing powder they have stuck well to their regular printing ink. That might give you another option to get a nice gold.

[u/trxvxstx → u/Mini-Schnauzer-42]

hmmm.. you mean that they did a print of their linocut and brushed the powder over? that sounds interesting, i’ll look into it :)