Most of us have carved a potato in school, inked the raised area and pressed it to a piece of paper. This process is known as a relief print, which is what a wood cut is. A soft block of wood is used to create this. Working on the plank side of the wood, the artist, using gouges and knives, cuts away all of the area that is not to be printed. The original surface remains as the design. Ink is applied to the wood and transferred to paper by rubbing it with a hard rounded surface or special pads made for this or by using a printer's press. If the image has different colors, the artist must carve a separate block for each color used. Each block must be pressed in the correct order and in register so that the colors do not overlap incorrectly. The Japanese were masters of color woodcuts.

One of the prominent characteristics of the woodcut is a strong, coarse line. Some of the ways to identify a relief print is that during the printing process the ink squashes to the edge of the printing areas causing a darker rim around some parts. Also, the pressure can be intense enough that it will raise or emboss the pattern of the image on the reverse side of the paper. This can sometimes be felt when the paper is lightly touched easier than it can be seen. You can also see the colors lying in layers on top of each other or over lapping at the edges in a color woodcut.

The oldest known printed book was created by this process in China during the year 868. Europeans started using this medium in the 1400's. The earliest color printed image appears in the beginning of the 16th century. Relief printing is the most common process up to the 18th century. Many artist's today still enjoy using this medium.

Illustrated is Babe in Arms by Irving Amen