What Is a Block Print? A Guide to One of the World's Oldest Art Forms

Craig Mitchell is a Nevada landscape artist and block printmaker based in Reno. This guide draws on his years of experience hand-carving and hand-pulling original prints inspired by the landscapes of Nevada and Lake Tahoe.

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What Is a Block Print?

A block print is a work of art made by carving an image into a flat surface — traditionally wood, but also linoleum or other materials — inking that surface, and pressing it onto paper or fabric to transfer the image. The carved block acts as a stamp, and the result is a bold, graphic image with a richness and texture that no digital process can replicate.

Block printing is one of the oldest forms of human image-making. It predates the printing press, predates photography, and predates virtually every other method of reproducing an image. And yet it remains one of the most vital and expressive tools available to a working artist today.

How Does Block Printing Work?

The process begins with a drawing. The artist sketches the composition, refining shapes, values, and the relationships between light and shadow. That drawing is then transferred to the surface of the block, where the artist carves away everything that should not hold ink — leaving the raised areas to carry color onto the paper.

For multicolor prints, each color requires its own block. A print with eight colors requires eight separate blocks, each carved independently and printed in careful sequence. Registration — the precise alignment of each layer — is one of the most technically demanding aspects of the craft. A fraction of an inch off and the entire print is lost.

Once the blocks are ready, the artist inks each one by hand, lays the paper in position, and applies pressure — either by hand or with a press — to transfer the image. The paper is then carefully peeled away to reveal the result.

That moment never gets old.

For a closer look at how this process unfolds in practice, read Three Times Through the First Block — A Block Printmaker's Process.

What's the Difference Between a Woodblock Print and a Linocut?

The two most common block printing surfaces are wood and linoleum, and each produces a distinct result.

Woodblock prints are carved into the grain of the wood, which resists the carving tool in ways that influence the final image. The grain itself can create a desired effect, lending a raw, organic quality to the lines.

Linocuts — short for linoleum cuts — are carved into a smooth, uniform surface that offers no resistance. This allows for cleaner lines, finer detail, and more precise control. Many contemporary printmakers, including Nevada artist Craig Mitchell, work primarily in linoleum for this reason. The smoothness of the surface doesn't mean the work is easier — it simply puts more of the decision-making in the artist's hands.

Are Block Prints Original Art or Reproductions?

This is one of the most important distinctions in printmaking, and one that's widely misunderstood.

A handmade block print is an original work of art. Every print in an edition is pulled by hand, inked by hand, and registered by hand. No two prints from the same edition are exactly alike — subtle variations in ink density, pressure, and paper texture mean that each one carries its own character.

This is fundamentally different from a reproduction, which is a photographic or digital copy of an existing artwork, printed by machine in unlimited quantities. Reproductions can be attractive and affordable, but they don't stand the test of time. Block prints are an investment for a lifetime.

When you purchase a handmade block print, you are purchasing an original — a unique object made by an artist's hands, not a copy of one.

"As a collector of historic prints for over 25 years — and an owner of block prints by William Seltzer Rice and Gustave Baumann — I consider Craig Mitchell's block prints the finest of this era. Stylistically his own, his work is superior in execution to those of the past." — Steve, Private collector

See also: Why Original Block Prints Capture Nevada Differently Than Photography and Why Block Prints Look Different From Digital Art Prints.

What Does "Limited Edition" Mean in Printmaking?

A limited edition print is one produced in a fixed, predetermined number. Once that number is reached, no more prints are made from those blocks. The edition size is typically noted on the print itself — written as a fraction, such as 7/30, meaning the seventh print pulled from an edition of thirty.

Limited editions exist to protect the integrity and value of the work. A print produced in an edition of 30 is inherently more collectible than one produced in an edition of 3,000 — not because the image is better, but because scarcity is meaningful. Collectors know that only a small number of people will ever own that particular work.

Craig Mitchell produces all of his Nevada landscape art prints and Lake Tahoe landscape prints in limited editions, many of them quite small.

What Makes a Block Print Valuable?

Several factors contribute to the value of a block print.

Edition Size

Smaller editions are more collectible. A print from an edition of 20 will hold its value differently than one from an edition of 200.

Number of Colors and Blocks

A print made from ten hand-carved blocks represents an enormous investment of time and skill. The complexity of the process is part of what collectors are purchasing.

The Artist's Hand

Handmade block prints carry the evidence of human decision-making at every stage — in the carving, the inking, the pressure applied during printing. That presence is irreplaceable.

Subject Matter and Place

Prints rooted in specific, meaningful places — a particular mountain range, a recognizable stretch of shoreline, a landscape that resonates personally — tend to hold their meaning over time in ways that generic imagery does not. However, the subject is never an indication of a good or bad work of art.

For a collector's perspective on value and longevity, read Are Block Prints a Good Investment? What Collectors Should Consider.

How Is a Block Print Different From Other Types of Prints?

Printmaking encompasses many techniques — etching, lithography, screen printing, digital printing, and more. Block printing is distinguished by its directness. The artist carves the image by hand, inks it by hand, and pulls each print by hand. There is no photographic intermediary, no digital file, no machine doing the work.

Other forms of printmaking can be equally valid and expressive, but block printing has a particular physicality — a directness of mark — that collectors and artists return to again and again.

Related: Why a Lake Tahoe Landscape Artist Chose Block Printing Over Paint.

How Do You Display and Care for a Block Print?

Block prints on archival paper are durable and long-lasting when handled and displayed correctly.

Avoid Direct Sunlight

UV exposure will fade any work on paper over time. Frame under UV-protective glass if the piece will hang in a bright room.

Use Conservation-Grade Framing Materials

Acid-free mats and backing boards prevent deterioration over decades. Craig Mitchell frames all of his prints using conservation-grade materials for this reason.

Handle by the Edges

The oils from fingertips can damage paper over time. When handling an unframed print, hold it by the edges or wear cotton gloves.

Block Printing and the Nevada Landscape

For Craig Mitchell, block printing and the Nevada landscape are a natural match. The medium rewards restraint — bold shapes, strong silhouettes, deliberate color — and so does the land itself. Nevada's wide-open spaces, dramatic skies, and geometric mountain forms translate naturally into the graphic language of the carved block.

Virtually every Nevada landscape art print and Lake Tahoe landscape print in Craig's collection begins outdoors, with field sketches made directly from the subject. Those sketches are refined in the studio, translated into hand-carved blocks, and printed by hand in small editions in Reno, Nevada.

The result is work that is rooted in a specific place — and made entirely by hand. Read more about how Nevada and Lake Tahoe shape Craig's work: How Nevada and Lake Tahoe Landscapes Shape Craig Mitchell's Block Prints.

Explore Nevada landscape prints

Explore Lake Tahoe landscape prints

Frequently Asked Questions About Block Prints

What is a block print?

A block print is an original work of art made by carving an image into a block of wood or linoleum, inking the surface, and pressing it onto paper by hand. Each print is pulled individually, making handmade block prints original works of art rather than reproductions.

Are block prints worth collecting?

Yes. Handmade block prints produced in limited editions are original works of art with lasting value. They are more affordable than one-of-a-kind paintings while retaining the qualities that make original art meaningful — the artist's hand, limited availability, and a direct connection to a specific place and time.

What is the difference between a block print and a reproduction?

A block print is made by hand, one print at a time, from a hand-carved block. A reproduction is a photographic or digital copy of an existing artwork, printed by machine. Block prints are original art; reproductions are copies.

How many prints are in a limited edition?

Edition sizes vary by artist and work. Craig Mitchell's editions typically range from 14 to 100 prints, with many closer to 48. Each print is numbered and signed by the artist.

How long does it take to make a block print?

A multicolor block print can take weeks or months to complete. Each color requires a separately carved block, and the printing process itself — inking, registering, and pulling each sheet by hand — is time-intensive. Craig Mitchell's White Fir – Tahoe, for example, was in progress from Christmas through March.

How should I frame a block print?

Use conservation-grade framing materials — acid-free mats, archival backing, and UV-protective glass. Craig Mitchell's prints are available pre-framed using conservation-grade materials and are ready to hang upon arrival.

What is the difference between a woodblock print and a linocut?

Woodblock prints are carved into wood grain, which influences the mark and texture of the final image. Linocuts are carved into smooth linoleum, allowing for finer detail and cleaner lines. Both are legitimate and expressive block printing techniques.