A relief printmaking technique that can be use to create flat inked areas. A sheet of linoleum is carved with a knife or gouging tool, leaving a raised area (or ‘relief’). Ink is rolled onto the raised area which is then pressed onto paper or another surface, leaving the inked design behind. It is similar to woodcut, but linoleum is softer and so easier to carve than wood, and it can be carved in any direction. Linoleum was invented in the 1800s as a floor covering and was first used for printmaking in the 1900s.