Thank you so much!!! Okay, I'm going to try not to go completely overboard with this answer - there are a number of things I've narrowed down in my printing process over the years that help make the quality more consistent.

I think number one has to be ink: Caligo Safe Wash Relief Printing ink for the most part, occasionally Charbonnel, but the important thing is that it's oil-based, not acrylic. I usually mix in some clear extender, which doesn't drastically affect the opacity unless you use a lot of it, but helps with application and reduces patchiness.

A close second is paper: because I almost always print by hand, it's basically impossible to print on heavyweight paper and not either lose detail or end up with patchy areas. The Morris one was printed on 130gsm lokta paper which has become my favourite/most reliable (it also soaks up the ink quickly and reduces the drying time by a couple days). You could also experiment with different types of washi, or check out whatever big sheets of paper they have at your local art supply store to get a range of weights and see if you find some easier to work with than others.

I usually use a bamboo baren, but recently got one of these from Woodzilla Press which is a lot sturdier and has been working very well! (I haven't tried the Speedball barens, but it seems they'd be better for printing smaller rubber stamps.) If the baren is sort of sticking or skipping on the back of the paper, a trick I've borrowed from Japanese ukiyo-e printmakers is tapping it against my face to pick up a tiny bit of oil, which helps it glide smoothly so you can use a lot of pressure without the risk of tearing lightweight papers.

The last thing I'll mention (for now...) is regularly sharpening your tools. If you're always ending up with slightly feathery edges, part of that might be ink over-application, but it could just be that your tools are getting dull as you work and are catching on the lino, even if they still feel sharp enough to use. I always keep one of those Flexcut strops next to me while I'm working so I remember to sharpen my gouges regularly during a carving session.

asks from here

Hair: Got a truly bad haircut?

I don’t know if I’ve ever had one that was straight-up bad, but I really hated the haircut I got before my senior year of college.  I had the stylist cut out all the black dye and my hair was shorter than it’d been in years.  I cried every day for a month afterwards because I hated how I looked.

Damn: Learned your first bad word?

Probably when I was six??  I heard my mom yelling at my dad and definitely heard “damn” and possibly some worse ones.

My mom told me not to repeat those words and I didn’t until I was like 20 and started swearing.

Career: Decided you wanted to profession/career/degree that you currently want or have?

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was like...twelve, I think.

I started dreaming of teaching English when I was about thirteen, changed my mind about it a few times, and wound up in that career path anyways.

Congrats bro u adulting like heck!!!

Omw don’t take this the wrong way but I totally wrote a poem about u once (I was just so happy to have found a kindred spirit)

Irish dancing!!!!!

Hobby: I started Irish dancing when I was 10. 

Country: 5. I went on a huge European trip with my family. I don’t remember most of it, sadly.

omw it's the worst. I've been cutting my own hair for a year now bc it's literally my least favorite thing in the world to do