Uploaded July 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
How to make a big stamp, Lino cut, block print... whatever.. and vectorize it on Adobe illustrator. You can then screen print that on a shirt..or just stamp it on there with the block ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
So to get my hand design on the computer, I ripped out 4 pieces of paper (because it was a 4 color design). Then print each block in black.
You can then scan it into the computer.. I don't have a scanner, so I just take a picture of them on the phone then air drop it to my computer.
Throw those pictures into Illustrator and do a live trace. There is a little, tracing-option button next to the live trace button. I mess with the 'path fitting', 'minimum area', 'blur', and toggle the ignore white option. Make sure the preview option is also toggled and get it to how you want it to roughly look:)
live trace and expand all four pictures.
'Expand' will make each line/object adjustable. So next you can clean up each design.
I erased some of the cuts and used the pencil tool to smooth out some of the lines. command n and command a will be your best bud. also command z... cause command z is bff.
Change the colors of the designs and you might have to mess with the opacity.. but line it up and align it so it all looks good. That is your final image and you could use that to make some screens to screen print... but what I did was just use the Lino cut to print the image on the shirt.
I got a big Lino block that was 12" x 17", so I changed the art board to match that size. Then just set treated the art board like the carving block.
I thought it would be cool if I made that a back print for the shirt -- have it be like two hands embroidering a weenier on a hoop.. (I ended up changing the weenier to my ox face logo)..
I printed that image out and then used a marker to make the left hand fit my style more... put it back on illustrator and messed with it more till it was how I wanted the black outline to look..
then printed it out to size (12"x17" in my case). Then used Elmers glue to paste it face down on the Lino block. Once it's dry you can use a wet rag to rub off all the paper -- leaving you with the ink and glue on the block.. That will automatically mirror your image and you can start cutting it out.
then got the other colors cut out like how I did in pt. 2
In pt.1 I stamped that image on a shirt using fabric block print (it was basically just oil paint) and it took a week to dry. I wore it immediately it got smeared.. so I wanted to try using plastisol ink. That is the ink generally use in screen printing shirts...
Then just print it using the square and smashing the block on the shirt... the ink won't cure/harden unless you heat it up. so after printing it use a heat gun, teflon sheet and an iron:)
Some tips...
- Use curable ink extender/thinner to get the ink nice and runny.
- Tape down the square
- Put the t-shrit on a sticky pallet or something so that the shirt won't move each time you pull up the Lino block...
- You can clean up the inked up block in the spots that you don't want ink.. before you stamp it on the shirt.
... And then I would read through some of the comments.. other people always have the best tips:)
Suplies:
$13.50 Lino block : amzn.to/2YfaYrq
$9.50 Lino cutte (red carving thing)r: amzn.to/2JpZecj
$25 plastisol inks (amazon probably isn't the best place to find this) : amzn.to/30FfRYq
$9 block printing ink: amzn.to/2Y0rtEv
$10 ink brayer: amzn.to/2L5dOby
$19 heat gun (maybe you could use a hair dryer?) : amzn.to/2O4Aw6V
$6 teflon sheet : amzn.to/30DHQYx
Extras:
$8 Print making paper 40: amzn.to/2XmEhIp
$4 Palette knifes: amzn.to/2Jd7fCI
$9 Fabric ink: amzn.to/2x4ob7o
$12 Potato that you can send some one with a custom message: bit.ly/2x8KBEt
Music:
Because of you - omgsora
Wish id stayed -Yusei
Tranquility - Prod. Riddiman
Waves - Prod. Riddiman
Join my email list!:
shmoxd.com/news
Follow me and watch the art process:
Instagram: instagram.com/shmoxd
Twitter: twitter.com/shmoxd
Spotify: open.spotify.com/user/12149338898
Facebook: facebook.com/shmoxd
Patreon.com patreon.com/shmoxd
Buy some stufffff from me: shmoxd.com
Subscribe: youtube.com/channel/shmoxd?sub_confirmation=1
Like. Comment. Share.. or what ever.. ¯\_ (ツ) _/¯
How to make a big stamp, Lino cut, block print... whatever.. and vectorize it on Adobe illustrator. You can then screen print that on a shirt..or just stamp it on there with the block ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
So to get my hand design on the computer, I ripped out 4 pieces of paper (because it was a 4 color design). Then print each block in black.
You can then scan it into the computer.. I don't have a scanner, so I just take a picture of them on the phone then air drop it to my computer.
Throw those pictures into Illustrator and do a live trace. There is a little, tracing-option button next to the live trace button. I mess with the 'path fitting', 'minimum area', 'blur', and toggle the ignore white option. Make sure the preview option is also toggled and get it to how you want it to roughly look:)
live trace and expand all four pictures.
'Expand' will make each line/object adjustable. So next you can clean up each design.
I erased some of the cuts and used the pencil tool to smooth out some of the lines. command n and command a will be your best bud. also command z... cause command z is bff.
Change the colors of the designs and you might have to mess with the opacity.. but line it up and align it so it all looks good. That is your final image and you could use that to make some screens to screen print... but what I did was just use the Lino cut to print the image on the shirt.
I got a big Lino block that was 12" x 17", so I changed the art board to match that size. Then just set treated the art board like the carving block.
I thought it would be cool if I made that a back print for the shirt -- have it be like two hands embroidering a weenier on a hoop.. (I ended up changing the weenier to my ox face logo)..
I printed that image out and then used a marker to make the left hand fit my style more... put it back on illustrator and messed with it more till it was how I wanted the black outline to look..
then printed it out to size (12"x17" in my case). Then used Elmers glue to paste it face down on the Lino block. Once it's dry you can use a wet rag to rub off all the paper -- leaving you with the ink and glue on the block.. That will automatically mirror your image and you can start cutting it out.
then got the other colors cut out like how I did in pt. 2
In pt.1 I stamped that image on a shirt using fabric block print (it was basically just oil paint) and it took a week to dry. I wore it immediately it got smeared.. so I wanted to try using plastisol ink. That is the ink generally use in screen printing shirts...
Then just print it using the square and smashing the block on the shirt... the ink won't cure/harden unless you heat it up. so after printing it use a heat gun, teflon sheet and an iron:)
Some tips...
- Use curable ink extender/thinner to get the ink nice and runny.
- Tape down the square
- Put the t-shrit on a sticky pallet or something so that the shirt won't move each time you pull up the Lino block...
- You can clean up the inked up block in the spots that you don't want ink.. before you stamp it on the shirt.
... And then I would read through some of the comments.. other people always have the best tips:)
Suplies:
$13.50 Lino block : amzn.to/2YfaYrq
$9.50 Lino cutte (red carving thing)r: amzn.to/2JpZecj
$25 plastisol inks (amazon probably isn't the best place to find this) : amzn.to/30FfRYq
$9 block printing ink: amzn.to/2Y0rtEv
$10 ink brayer: amzn.to/2L5dOby
$19 heat gun (maybe you could use a hair dryer?) : amzn.to/2O4Aw6V
$6 teflon sheet : amzn.to/30DHQYx
Extras:
$8 Print making paper 40: amzn.to/2XmEhIp
$4 Palette knifes: amzn.to/2Jd7fCI
$9 Fabric ink: amzn.to/2x4ob7o
$12 Potato that you can send some one with a custom message: bit.ly/2x8KBEt
Music:
Because of you - omgsora
Wish id stayed -Yusei
Tranquility - Prod. Riddiman
Waves - Prod. Riddiman
Join my email list!:
shmoxd.com/news
Follow me and watch the art process:
Instagram: instagram.com/shmoxd
Twitter: twitter.com/shmoxd
Spotify: open.spotify.com/user/12149338898
Facebook: facebook.com/shmoxd
Patreon.com patreon.com/shmoxd
Buy some stufffff from me: shmoxd.com
Subscribe: youtube.com/channel/shmoxd?sub_confirmation=1
Like. Comment. Share.. or what ever.. ¯\_ (ツ) _/¯
