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Speedball 4202 Speedy-Cut Easy Block Printing Carving Block

Curated from 106 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: April 8, 2025

Speedball 4202 Speedy-Cut Easy Block Printing Carving Block

Brand: Speedball
Price: $7
Snoop Score:
7.3
Sentiment
6.2
Popularity
7.9
Technical
8.1

Snoop's Take

The Speedball 4202 Speedy-Cut Easy Block Printing Carving Block is designed for artists and crafters looking to create custom stamps and printing blocks. Made from a soft, rubber-like material, this 4 x 6-inch block allows for easy carving and is perfect for various printing techniques. Consumer feedback highlights the product's ease of use and versatility, with many users noting, "Carves like butter!" and praising its durability, stating it "will not crack or crumble." Additionally, some users expressed satisfaction with the tips provided for achieving great results, such as using Speedball’s fabric ink, while others mentioned challenges with print quality when over-inking or using sharpness issues with the blades. Overall, the block is regarded as a reliable choice for both beginners and experienced printmakers. Based on the positive reviews and helpful tips shared by users, the Speedball 4202 Speedy-Cut Easy Block Printing Carving Block is recommended for anyone interested in block printing and custom designs. Its strengths significantly outweigh the weaknesses, making it a valuable tool in any artist's supply kit.

Not for you? Check out our other rated Relief & Block Printing Materials

With Speedball’s fabric ink, I always do one thinner coat followed by a thick coat.

Positive Feedback

the surface bends and cuts get extended beyond where I want them to be.

Negative Feedback
Product
7.3
Speedball 4202 Speedy-Cut Easy Block Printing Carving Block
Educational Crafts
6 / 10
Professional Printmaking
8 / 10
DIY Home Projects
5 / 10
Classroom and Studio Supplies
5 / 10
See how this compares to all Relief & Block Printing Materials

What it does well!

Key strengths users can’t stop talking about.
Great results with fabric ink
With Speedball’s fabric ink, I always do one thinner coat followed by a thick coat.
Thanks! I used a lot more ink and the prints turned out great.
Easy to use with multiple coats
So burn it on a scrap first, then print your item on the second pass.
Helpful tips for success in printmaking
You gave me very helpful tips to make me feel successful.
Easy to carve
Speedball makes block printing specific fabric ink.
I’ve had a good amount of success.
I find it easier to carve than the true linoleum blocks.
If it's warmer than room temperature the block will be a lot easier to carve.
Durable material that won't crack or crumble
I put mine in front of a space heater for a few minutes.
Good for custom designs
Recommendations for a linocut beginner I am wanting to get into printmaking doing linocuts, does any
I did a pretty detailed print in a less squishy gray rubber from Blicks art supply (my print [here](
Cuts smoothly and stays sturdy
They cut smooth and stay sturdy.
Speedball fabric relief ink has better consistency
Speedball does make a fabric relief ink as well. It has a better consistency than the silkscreen ink for printing Lino (obviously) but is still easy to clean with soap and water!
Helpful tips for keeping ink workable
depending on the ink you are using, extenders like linseed oil might help extend drying times.
I keep a spray bottle and a palette knife on my palette, spray the water and roll.

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.
Print quality affected by squishiness
the surface bends and cuts get extended beyond where I want them to be.
Screen printing ink dries too quickly
It is basically thin acrylic ink that will dry very quickly.
Prints come out fuzzy after multiple uses
FWIW speedball inks are not great.
Over-inking causes print quality issues
I am enjoying blockprinting but I don't know of any other artists or studios that could help me troubleshoot like this.
Speedball blades are not sharp enough for beginners
Are the blades not sharp enough for the beginner's kit?
The speedball blades are terrible and will make you very upset.
They are just not very good.
The quality of Speedball carving tools is poor
the set that came in the handle was extremely bad with huge imperfections and practically serrated in areas, so it was hard to make them worse lol.
Speedball inks dry too quickly
Cheap water based block printing inks are the worst. Avoid the speedball ones too.

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

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9.9
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Pixiss Linoleum Blocks for PrintmakingPixiss Linoleum Blocks for Printmaking$21
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ZEONHEI 5 PCS Green A4 Rubber Carving BlocksZEONHEI 5 PCS Green A4 Rubber Carving Blocks$28
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Pixiss Linoleum Blocks for Printmaking - 6 PackPixiss Linoleum Blocks for Printmaking - 6 Pack$27
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Speedball Speedy-Carve Premium Printmaking BlocksSpeedball Speedy-Carve Premium Printmaking Blocks$26
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Speedball 4202 Speedy-Cut Easy Block Printing Carving BlockSpeedball 4202 Speedy-Cut Easy Block Printing Carving Block$7
7.3
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Frienda 2 Pcs 2 Inch Rubber RollerFrienda 2 Pcs 2 Inch Rubber Roller$9
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Artway Premium Block Printing Medium - 250mlArtway Premium Block Printing Medium - 250ml$22
5.6
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Frienda 6 Pcs Rubber Roller SetFrienda 6 Pcs Rubber Roller Set$16
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Speedball Block Printing Ink SetSpeedball Block Printing Ink Set$19
5.2
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Speedball Printmaster Paper, 9"x12", 50-SheetsSpeedball Printmaster Paper, 9"x12", 50-Sheets$13
4.3
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KALLORY 3Pcs Printmaking Carving PlatesKALLORY 3Pcs Printmaking Carving Plates$22
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Frienda 15 Pcs Rubber Roller Brayer Ink RollerFrienda 15 Pcs Rubber Roller Brayer Ink Roller$17
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Core Power Plays

The specs and strengths that make it shine.
Discussion about 3D printing blocks for custom designs
I designed the blocks to fit inside the front pocket of a Carhartt Tee mostly because they are my favorite brand of shirt and also so I don’t look too cheap when I give them away lol.
this is awesome.
Different ink viscosities for block vs. screen printing
Screen printing ink is generally runnier than relief ink.
I hated the textile white ink of speedball because it has a smell and I don't want it to smell in class.

Hidden Hero Hacks

Unexpected tricks and side‑door uses you’ll love.
Various tools and materials used by printmakers
The Speedball linoleum cutters are a great beginner tool.
I find it meditative.
Discussion about sourcing printmaking materials
I’m a big fan of Speedball and Gamblin, but there’s just so many sites available to purchase their products from.
I use speedball super graphic black which I try to buy at a discount from local art stores when the cans are dented or damaged.
For me, Dick Blick is the best intersection of cost and variety.
Mcclains and etsy for Japanese carving tools.
Discussion about alternative block printing inks
The sand paper texture just really isn’t working for me.
Cranfield safe wash or Gamblin are better.
I am trying out Schmincke Aqua Linocut ink, and I am impressed!
I would not recommend Akua Intaglio ink.
Discussion about laser settings for print blocks
laser + cold press laminator = a lot of fun! Saving me hours of curving and giving great details.
If you've seen how rubber stamps aren't cut straight down, but at a bevel- this is what ramping does.
did not know about that feature, thanks! will definitely try it out.
it helps a lot!
Discussion on techniques to soften linoleum for easier carving
To make lino buttery soft to cut, **warm it up!**
I’ve used a hair dryer on hot for it - I’ve seen people put it in the oven, but need to stay with it to make sure it doesn’t do anything bad.
Discussion about using acrylic retarder with inks
I've added it to silk-screening inks in the past with great results on paper.
Discussion on printing techniques and ink management
Diluting will make it worse, you want less ink to slide down into the grooves - water will make it more likely to spread!
I was having really inconsistent results until I radically experimented with how much ink I was rolling on.

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’
Dampening fabric may help ink transfer
just dampening the paper ever so slightly will significantly help the ink transfer.
What's the easiest block to acquire 160000 pieces of? (Picture related) This M4 Menger sponge I'm pl
Discussion about ink applications and compatibility.
I figured whatever the shirt is fucked anyway so I inked the block again and it was darker but still not good.
You *can* get it to work, but it tends to be with overinking and looked bad.
I almost returned the screenprinting ink but I read that it could be used for relief printing easily and believed it.
Yeah the easily is really for like....very small things might work alright, but it still isn't ideal.
Using smooth and thin paper improves print quality
Might be the paper, thinner paper does better imo.
I will definitely be finding some thinner paper haha.
As others have said, using smooth and thin paper is the way to go.
Discussion about printmaking tools and kits for beginners
A very good price for the tools, as they sell individually for $12-18 each.
Make sure you get a soft speedball brayer.
The most expensive thing I bought was the carving tool from speedball.
Discussion about various printmaking techniques
you will need to decide the technique you want to use before people can give you advice!
Recommendations for starter kits and tools
This will get ya started!
A very good price for the tools, as they sell individually for $12-18 each.
I recommend the power grip 5 piece carving tools, you can get a full range of line widths and variation.
Advice on ink usage with lino printing on fabric
lino printing on fabric can be pretty tricky and can print funny and you have to really watch how much ink you use with the lino.
Tips for improving metallic ink application
For the life of me I also cannot get silver or gold to show up well on papers of various colors when it is the normal print ink.
Maybe add some white to make it more opaque?
I'm going to try this.
I would love to get gold and silver to work on black paper!!! -wistful sigh-

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.
Ink quality varies greatly with different brands.
Is it true that speedball ink is not that good? I’ve been using speedball for ink for my prints.
Speedball has a professional grade ink, which is better, but ultimately I switched to caligo safe wash and it was life changing.
paper matters as much as ink.
I just got some high-grade washi paper which apparently works best with water based inks and I really dread using speedball on it.
Using Gamlin oil base ink yields better results
I have better results with Gamlin oil base ink.
Loosening ink with extender can improve results
it'll print better after that.

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