Experimenting with Metallic Linocut Inks: Silver + Magenta
When I started working on my newest girl, Cosmic Starlight, I wanted the colors to feel a little retro-futuristic – something between 80s space aesthetics and dreamy sci-fi illustrations.
For this print I experimented with metallic inks for the first time in a while. Instead of using silver on its own, I mixed a small amount of magenta into the metallic silver ink.
The result surprised me: the color turned into a soft lilac tone with a subtle shimmer that changes depending on the light. It’s not overly glittery, but it gives the print a slightly magical quality that fits the cosmic theme perfectly.
How I created the purple metallic shade
One thing I noticed while printing is that metallic inks behave a little differently than regular colors. They can appear quite strong on the glass slab, but once printed they often look softer and more subtle on paper. It took me a few attempts to get the perfect shade. Testing it on your actual printing paper really helps!
I documented a few moments from the process while working on the print. I mixed traditional relief ink in silver with Caligo Safe Wash relief ink in magenta – both from my favorite ink creators Cranfield. Since they are both oil-based, it doesn’t matter that one ink is water-soluble and the other isn’t. However, the ink is still harder to clean than water-soluble ink.
Traditional Relief Ink Silver pure
Silver mixed with Magenta becomes purple
Silver, Magenta and White becomes dull
The finished print is called Cosmic Starlight. It’s part of my ongoing series “Girls with Whimsical Minds” and reflects themes of retro-futurism and the space age with a subtle 80s vibe. She’s available in my Etsy Shop.
Want to explore linocut printmaking further?
If you’re curious about the tools and materials I personally use for linocut printing, you can download my linocut tool list here.
If you’d like to learn the whole process step by step — from your first sketch to your first finished print – you might also enjoy my online linocut course Cut by Cut.
Linocut Tool Guide
Still unsure which tools and products you need for your lino printing starter kit? Just download my guide with product recommendations for linocut beginners – on 6 pages I list all the materials and tools I need to make my colorful prints – and you can do it too!
Anna Hermsdorf is a linocut designer and printmaker based in Germany. She creates colorful linocut prints and teaches modern linocut techniques online and in workshops.