Chine Collé Linocut Printmaking Tutorial: Adding Depth and Texture to your Prints

This tutorial introduces the basics of chine collé and explains how to apply the technique to linocut printing. 

Background and History

Chine collé is a printmaking technique where a thin sheet of paper is printed and attached to a thicker backing at the same time. The delicate paper, often trimmed to fit the shape of the image or printing block, is placed directly onto the inked surface, with a heavier sheet positioned behind it. Pressure from a press, hand printing, a baren, or other rolls bonds the layers together, sometimes with a light adhesive applied beforehand. As the ink transfers, the two sheets fuse into a single surface. This process creates a soft image in which a thin sheet of paper becomes permanently embedded in the structure of the print. 

A key advantage of chine collé is its ability to introduce color, contrast, and material variations without requiring additional linoleum blocks. The thin paper itself becomes part of the image, contributing its own tone, texture, and edge. Because these papers are often lighter, smoother, or more translucent than the backing sheet, they create subtle visual shifts that would not be possible through ink alone. At the same time, the studier backing provides the structure and stability, allowing artists to work with fragile papers that might otherwise tear, wrinkle, or distort during printing. This expands the expressive possibilities of printmaking by combining multiple surfaces into a single unified image. 

Chine collé became popular in 19th-century France, particularly in fine art prints and illustrated books, where artists used it to add refinement, subtle color, and material variations to printed images. The term itself comes from French: chine refers to the thin paper originally imported from East Asia, and collé means “glued.” These lightweight papers were valued for their smooth surface and ability to hold fine detail. While the name is French, the technique reflects a longer history of exchange, as European artists sought out Asian papers for their unique qualities. Today, it remains widely used, valued for what different materials can bring to a single print. 

What You’ll Need

1. Scissors

2. Paint brush

3. Brayer

4. Paper you will be printing on 

5. Block printing ink (acrylic recommended)

6. Thin paper (Japanese or tissue paper)

7. Light adhesive (wheat paste, PVA, nori rice paste)

8. Barren, press, or hand burnishing tool

9. Tray/bowl for adhesive

10. Your linoleum block

Handy Notes

Applying Adhesive: Too much glue can cause the thin paper to wrinkle or create uneven binding. If using PVA glue, you can water it down slightly. 

Experiments: Japanese papers are ideal, but you can play with other delicate materials like maps, sheet music, or newspaper. 

Work Carefully: Thin papers can tear or shift during printing. Handle them dently, and keep your workspace clean and dry. 

Prevent Warping: Place your dry, finished prints under a clean, flat weight to prevent warping. 

Printing Paper Choice: Strong printing papers like Rives BFK, Arches Cover, Somerset, Stonehenge, or other cotton rag papers work well for printing. 

Timing Matters: Apply adhesive shortly before printing. If the glue dries too much, the chine collé paper may not fully bond. 

Let’s Get Printing

1. Prepare Your Materials: Cut your thin paper to roughly match the area of the linocut you want it to cover, and select the paper you will be printing on. 

2. Ink Your Linoleum Block: Roll your ink evenly onto your linoleum block using a brayer. Check that the coverage is smooth and not heavily applied. 

3. Apply Adhesive: Lightly brush a thin layer of your adhesive on the back of your delicate paper. Don’t use too much; just enough to help it stick to the supportive backing paper. 

4. Arrange Your Papers: Place the inked linoleum block on your workspace. Carefully lay the thin, adhesive-coated paper on top of the inked linoleum block (glue side up). Carefully position your printing paper on top of the thin paper and block. Make sure everything is aligned correctly, but avoid shifting once papers have made contact with the block. 

5. Apply Pressure: Run the papers through a press, if available, or use a barren or hand-burnishing tool to apply firm, even pressure. This simultaneously transfers the ink to the thin paper and binds it to the backing paper. 

6. Peel Carefully: Once printed, carefully lift the support paper. The delicate paper should not be bonded to the backing with your linocut design printed on top. 

7. Dry and Flatten: Allow the print to dry flat in a safe area. Avoid touching the delicate surface until it’s fully dry. 

8. Finishing Touches: You can trim the edges for a cleaner finish, or experiment with layering multiple colors or papers using chine collé to add depth and variation to your print. 

We hope you enjoy your brand new, handmade chine collé linocut print and that you learned a thing or two from this tutorial. You can find this and more in our independent publication Hands at Work that takes an inside look at the St. Petersburg, FL, creative community. 

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We also offer private group workshops for anyone interested in learning linocut printmaking, bookbinding, or creative journaling, just like this. Perfect for friends, families, team events, and special occasions. Email us at DovetailStudioFL@gmail.com for more information.