The ever-helpful Michael from Cranfield has some top tips for drying prints when working with oil-based inks. We’ve summarised some of his advice to help us with our own printmaking:
When working with oil-based inks, the air in the room is very important in order for your prints to dry. The atmosphere should be warm and have a low relative humidity to increase the drying speed. Moving air is even better – an open window or a fan will help (but remember that some heaters can create water vapour and made the environment more humid.)
![](https://blog.handprinted.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/gold-002-500.jpg)
Damp studios at night are not ideal. The cold, damp atmosphere is not a good environment for drying prints. It can undo the lovely drying work that has happened during the day!
![](https://blog.handprinted.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/editioning-004-500.jpg)
Adding driers
– Liquid driers like Cobalt Driers can be added up to around 5% – any more than 6% and the solvent in the driers can do more harm than good to the drying of your prints.
– Wax driers have the texture more similar to ink so they can be easier to add. Around 7% should be the top end of the amount you would want to add to your ink but 3% should be plenty.
![](https://blog.handprinted.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Process-006-500.jpg)
In conclusion, a warm, dry environment with well-circulated air should ensure your prints dry quickly. Add a little driers to speed up the process if you like.