A linocut is a type of relief print. Relief printing is when a piece of paper is “stamped” with ink from the top surface of the plate.
Other types of relief prints are woodcuts and engraving. Essentially, a linocut is the same as a woodcut but the plate isn’t wood, it’s a piece of linoleum, and because of the softness of the plate, it is easier to carve.
When you carve your lino you are cutting away the area that will be white and leaving the area that will be black (or coloured if you are printing in colour). Linocuts were originally made popular by Picasso, while before that they were simply regarded as a student’s medium to practise for woodcuts.
