Fish & Leaf Printing

Fish printing, or the Japanese art of Gyotaku, offers a fun, creative way to introduce young children to the world of fish. Acorn Naturalists offers fish replicas that are cast in flexible, soft material from actual fish (soft replicas that feel more like fish are easier to use than hard replicas). The cast is raised on one side of the replica with the back side being flat. To make a beautiful fish print, simply ink the fish with block printing inks using brayer and roll the fish over paper to capture all the features of the fish (eyes, scales, top and bottom fins, gills, etc). When finished, fish models can be cleaned with warm soapy water. Acorn Naturalists also offers washable fish printing (block) inks, ink rollers (brayers), and rice paper by the sheet or roll for perfect fish printing results. For a helpful video demonstrating fish printing techniques please click here. Also in this section are replicas for making beautiful leaf prints. Combine with our marine algae rubber stamps to create beautiful marine scenes. Fish printing provides hands-on science and nature learning for children 6 and up.