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Speedball Block Printing Ink Set

Curated from 96 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: February 5, 2025

Speedball Block Printing Ink Set

Brand: Speedball

Price: $19

Snoop Score:

5.2

Sentiment

5.9

Popularity

5.7

Technical

5.0

Buy on Amazon for $19 See All Relief & Block Printing Materials Reviews

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Snoop's Take

The Speedball Block Printing Ink Set is a versatile collection of water-soluble inks designed for linocut and relief printing on various surfaces, particularly fabric. Customers have noted that this ink set is particularly effective for fabric printing, with one user stating, "Thanks! I used a lot more ink and the prints turned out great." While many users appreciate the affordability and the ease of use for beginners, there are some concerns regarding the ink's drying speed and transparency, with comments like, "The main problem I have with them is that they dry too fast." Overall, the Speedball Block Printing Ink Set is recommended for those who are new to printmaking or looking for an economical option for fabric printing. Despite some drawbacks, such as the need for proper technique to avoid uneven prints, the positive feedback indicates that it serves its purpose well in the right hands.

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 main problem I have with them is that they dry too fast.
Negative Feedback

5.2

Speedball Block Printing Ink Set

Buy on Amazon for $19

Educational Crafts

4 / 10

Professional Printmaking

5 / 10

DIY Home Projects

4 / 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.

Effective for fabric printing with multiple layers

“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.”➕

Good for beginners with useful tools

“it’s not criminally expensive to get into. it’s a very fun medium to play with :)”➕

Decent for printing on cotton tees and patches

“They’re pretty decent for patches and cotton tees, but don’t print as well on rougher materials i’ve noticed!”➕

Effective for linocut on fabric

“I use Speedball Screen Printing Fabric ink for linocut on tee shirts and it's been working great since I figured out a good process.”➕

Good for beginners once proper techniques are learned

“Hello, I'm new to printmaking and am looking for suggestions for kits or the proper tools to get started.”➕

“This will get ya started!”➕

Users recommend Speedball fabric ink

“I’d also recommend Speedball fabric ink or Caligo safewash ink. Speedball makes a fabric ink for block printing and is decent as well.”➕

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!”➕

Speedball ink works well for linocut designs on fabric

“lino printing on fabric can be pretty tricky and can print funny.”➕

Effective for multiple prints with adjustments

“I usually would like to print at least ten to twenty at a time.”➕

“Diluting will make it worse, you want less ink to slide down into the grooves.”➕

“I was having really inconsistent results until I radically experimented with how much ink I was rolling on.”➕

“Waterbased inks dry too quickly.”➕

Speedball fabric ink cleans easily

“It cleans up with soap and water and comes in many colors.”➕

Effective ink coverage on fabric requires more ink

“Fabric needs a better coating of ink on the block than paper does.”➕

“Your ink slab should look like velvet not like the soft side of velcro.”➕

“It's a rad print BTW!”➕

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.

Dries too fast for some users

“The main problem I have with them is that they dry too fast.”➕

Inks are quite transparent

“I don't think either inks are opaque at all. I tried both and both were quite transparent.”➕

Quality is not great for some users

“It works, but the quality isn’t great.”➕

“ultimately I switched to caligo safe wash and it was life changing.”➕

Dries too fast for some applications

“Yeah the easily is really for like....very small things might work alright, but it still isn't ideal as it is acrylic drying out with how you need to thinly roll on the ink.”➕

“It holds detail better, is more velvety and doesn’t dry as fast.”➕

Not ideal for all types of fabric printing

“I almost returned the screenprinting ink but I read that it could be used for relief printing easily and believed it 🤦‍♀️ I know this isn't how it's meant to be used I wish I had returned it.”➕

“I just got some high-grade washi paper which apparently works best with water based inks and I really dread using speedball on it.”➕

Prints look uneven when pressed

“And all of my prints look uneven when I press them.”➕

User prefers Gamlin oil-based ink over Speedball

“I have better results with Gamlin oil base ink.”➕

Speedball screen printing ink dries quickly

“It is basically thin acrylic ink that will dry very quickly.”➕

Fabric ink must be appropriately labeled to avoid washing out

“It must be labeled that it is for fabric. If not, it will wash out.”➕

Dries too quickly leading to fuzziness

“FWIW speedball inks are not great.”➕

Build-up of ink reduces print clarity

“It sounds like I have two separate problems.”➕

Speedball ink dries too quickly

“I like the colors I’m able to achieve, but it dries so fast.”➕

“Cheap water based block printing inks are the worst. Avoid the speedball ones too.”➕

Speedball ink is water soluble and washes out

“It will wash out/rain can make it bleed out even.”➕

“The second any of that ink gets wet it will start to wash away.”➕

Requires fabric-specific ink for permanence

“You're going to have to get their fabric ink if you want the print to be permanent.”➕

Requires a press for adequate pressure

“you *needed* a press to get enough pressure to embed the image deeply info the fabric.”➕

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

Product Name	Price	Score	See Details	Buy Now
Bobblebro Linoleum Blocks for Printmaking Supplies	$13	9.9	Details	Buy
Pixiss Linoleum Blocks for Printmaking	$21	7.9	Details	Buy
ZEONHEI 5 PCS Green A4 Rubber Carving Blocks	$28	7.6	Details	Buy
Pixiss Linoleum Blocks for Printmaking - 6 Pack	$27	7.6	Details	Buy
Speedball Speedy-Carve Premium Printmaking Blocks	$26	7.5	Details	Buy
Speedball 4202 Speedy-Cut Easy Block Printing Carving Block	$7	7.3	Details	Buy
Frienda 2 Pcs 2 Inch Rubber Roller	$9	6.1	Details	Buy
Artway Premium Block Printing Medium - 250ml	$22	5.6	Details	Buy
Frienda 6 Pcs Rubber Roller Set	$16	5.5	Details	Buy
Speedball Block Printing Ink Set	$19	5.2	Details	Buy
Speedball Printmaster Paper, 9"x12", 50-Sheets	$13	4.3	Details	Buy
KALLORY 3Pcs Printmaking Carving Plates	$22	4.1	Details	Buy
Frienda 15 Pcs Rubber Roller Brayer Ink Roller	$17	2.6	Details	Buy

Core Power Plays

The specs and strengths that make it shine.

Dampening fabric may aid ink transfer

“just dampening the paper ever so slightly will significantly help the ink transfer.”➕

Comparison of viscosity between screen printing and block printing inks

“The only catch is going to be viscosity.”➕

Paper matters as much as ink

“paper matters as much as ink.”➕

Saturation improves print quality over time

“The first few prints you're saturating the block, it'll print better after that.”➕

Best results on dark fabrics

“Dark colors work best - the type of ink I’ve used with silver success is the speedball block print fabric paint.”➕

Discussion about appropriate inks for fabric printing

“I feel like it might work out alright since the ink is acrylic and also since totes don't get washed as often as a shirt, for example.”➕

Hidden Hero Hacks

Unexpected tricks and side‑door uses you’ll love.

Mistakes in ink selection lead to experimentation

“I figured whatever the shirt is fucked anyway so I inked the block again and it was darker but still not good.”➕

“looks like this shirt is my new fabric testing grounds 🤣”➕

Acrylic retarder can extend drying time for inks

“I've added it to silk-screening inks in the past with great results on paper.”➕

Mixing colors may improve opacity

“Maybe add some white to make it more opaque?”➕

“I would love to get gold and silver to work on black paper!!! -wistful sigh-”➕

Suggestions for alternative metallic inks

“Grab some cranfield metallic inks, they cover very well.”➕

“The best thing to use is mica powder.”➕

Techniques to manage drying time of water-based inks

“I do this all the time because I don't always have time to mess with oil, so I figured out how to make water based work for me.”➕

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’

Need for more ink than paper printing

“the first pass is always going to be under inked somehow.”➕

Useful resources for teaching art to kids

“I’ve had good results with the Speedball water washable oil-based inks.”➕

Discussion of various online stores for art supplies

“For me, Dick Blick is the best intersection of cost and variety.”➕

“Mcclains and etsy for Japanese carving tools.”➕

Printmaking covers many techniques requiring different equipment

“Printmaking covers a great many techniques, that all require different equipment and skills so you will need to decide the technique you want to use before people can give you advice!”➕

Discussion of starter kits for printmaking

“A very good price for the tools, as they sell individually for $12-18 each. This set will last your life.”➕

Alternatives to Speedball ink exist that may work better

“depending on the ink you are using, extenders like linseed oil might help extend drying times.”➕

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.

Preference for Speedball ink over others

“I’m a big fan of Speedball and Gamblin.”➕

“I make an exception for ink.”➕

Preference for alternative block printing inks

“Block printing ink that isn’t speedball? 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 of alternative inks and brands

“Ah yeah that's a bummer - if just going for black, I know Gamblin makes a popular textile one.”➕

Thinner paper yields better print results

“Might be the paper, thinner paper does better imo.”➕

“I will definitely be finding some thinner paper haha.”➕

“using smooth and thin paper is the way to go.”➕

Concerns about using screen printing ink for linocut designs

“can I use Speedball screen printing ink to print a linocut design i have onto a shirt?”➕