Seal cutting must have corresponding tools to carve good works. What tools are needed?

First, printing spectrum, printing spectrum is used to learn copying, only by learning the excellent works of the ancients can we enter the door of seal cutting, so the choice of printing spectrum is very important. Of course, the choice of printing spectrum is also learned, and at least three deformations have to be experienced from seal to printing spectrum. The first time is to seal the cover. When stamping, too much inkpad will cause the inkpad on the edge of the printing line to bulge. This is the first deformation. The second time is scanning and PS processing. In the process of machining, the second deformation will be formed. The third time is printing. When printing, ink or toner will form lines on the paper and expand more or less. After the above three transformations, printing is no longer the original color of printing. But it doesn't mean that you can't copy the print spectrum, and you can only choose the finest print spectrum among various print spectra. Good printing will make beginners take fewer detours, and vice versa.

Second, carving knives, carving knives can be roughly divided into two categories according to materials, one is ordinary white steel knives, and the other is alloy knives. According to the specifications, broadsword and knife can generally be used. Broadswords generally have a blade width of 0.8cm and knives generally have a blade width of 0.5cm. According to the thickness of the cutter head, they can be roughly divided into two categories, one is a common knife and the other is a thin-edged knife. For example, Huang Mufu likes to use thin-edged knives, and many famous Zhejiang scholars also like to use thin-edged knives. There are some other kinds of knives, such as shovel bottom knives, which will not be listed one by one. (On-site demonstration of carving knives), we beginners can generally prepare two carving knives, one for each size and one for white steel. Why not recommend alloy knife? Because the alloy knife is too sharp and easy to hurt hands, it is not recommended for novices to use it. Generally speaking, it is recommended to use a 0.5cm carving knife for stones with a carving surface less than 2cm, and a 0.8cm carving knife for stones of other specifications.

Three, Yin Shi and Yin Shi are mainly divided into two categories, one is pyrophyllite, and the other is dickite. The four famous stones in China are Qingtian stone, Shoushan stone, Bahrain stone and Changshou stone, among which Qingtian stone and Bahrain stone belong to pyrophyllite, Shoushan stone and Changshou stone belong to dickite. Pyrophyllite has the characteristics of waxy luster, bright color and delicate texture. Although dickite also has the characteristics of pyrophyllite, its surface gloss is poor, so white tea oil is needed, otherwise the color will be poor. The biggest difference between dickite and pyrophyllite is that dickite needs to be maintained with white tea oil, while pyrophyllite is generally sealed with wax. Among them, Qingtian stone is brittle, and it is easy to produce obvious cracking effect when carving, and all kinds of seals are suitable. Balin stone is slightly harder than Qingtian stone, and the crack is not as serious as Qingtian stone. The crack effect is between Qingtian and Shishan, which is not suitable for freehand brushwork. Shoushan stone is softer than the above two kinds of stones. It is best to carve it steadily, work and write, and don't carve it by hand. Chang fossil and Ili stone, carved stone powder stick to the knife. Generally speaking, Chang fossils should be carved stably, and it is difficult to produce unexpected effects. There are many other ethnic minority stones at home and abroad, such as Indian Redstone and Laos Stone.

Fourth, inkpad, the ancient people trampled on the soil, so there is no need to inkpad. Later, when writing materials were replaced by paper, there was a demand for inkpad. Commonly used inkpad includes cinnabar inkpad, Judy inkpad, Pearl Babble inkpad and other varieties. The red of cinnabar inkpad is gorgeous, while the red of Judy inkpad is yellow, which is more restrained and subtle. In recent years, some people have developed other types of inkpad. In fact, it is mainly to adjust the color and chromaticity of the inkpad color. You can choose according to your own preferences.

Verbs (abbreviation of verb) Yin Chuang and Yin Chuang are mainly used to repair Yin Shi. Because the carving needs to be steady, accurate and steady, it will inevitably hurt the index finger of the left hand, so the printing bed should be used. There are two kinds of common Yin Chuang, one is the traditional wedge type, and the other is similar to the vise type. This material can be made of wood or metal. It's not that carving is not good without Yin Chuang, but generally speaking, if you don't use Yin Chuang, beginners often dare not cut too hard, which will easily lead to soft lines.

? 6. Shi Lian paper, paper produced in Fujian and Shilian, is as white as jade, with fine and smooth surface and good toughness, which is very suitable for stamp printing and frame extension. It can show many details of the seal, and it does not change color for a long time, which is necessary for seal cutting.

? With the above tools ready, we can begin to learn seal cutting.