You can get what you need from most FINE ART supply stores (NOT crafts stores like Michaels/Hobby Lobby) and the items below
are usually displayed together. They are all "block printing" supplies. Call first to see if they have the first three of
the following in-stock:
Roller: The roller is called a brayer and you want one that is hard rubber. Minimum of 3 inches wide (7.62cm).
Ink: Speedball Water Soluble Block Printing Ink in black. Colors stain the hand. Outside of the US/Canada you will need to find the equivalent.
Linoleum: This is the surface you roll the ink out on to coat the brayer. 4 X 6 inch size is perfect for 3 inch brayer width.
The three above fit well into a large Ziplock bag together.
Paper: You can use any type of paper that will take the ink. Standard copy/laser paper works just fine.
Hand Printing Supplies Retailers
www.UnitedNow.com is a great US-based online source for water-based supplies. Enter "block printing ink" "block printing brayer" and "linoleum" on UnitedNow's site to find items.
U.S.West Coast Source
Pre-Inked Sheets-Oil Based Ink:www.hittmarking.com
Click "See All" at bottom of their web page to get display of 10in x 6in sheets. It's also a good idea to call them to check availability and be aware that sheets have approximate 6 month shelf life and come in minimum of 100.
SEVERAL COUNTRIES & LANGUAGES/Pre-Inked Sheets-Oil Based Ink ("printake"):www.bvda.com
Magnifiers
There are many magnifiers out there to assist you in looking at fingerprints. The favorites of students and collegues have been the rimless lighted magnifiers available through Radio Shack and the Carson's Executive Chrome RimFree 2x LED Lighted Magnifier (if you do an online search you'll find several sources to order from). If your eyes "aren't what they used to be" and you need more magnification you might want to try a 10x magnifier such as the pocket-sized Bausch & Lomb Coddington Magifier or this 10x Lighted Magnifier from Brookstone. Candian source for magnifiers www.TheSource.ca
