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Small manual rollers, also known as brayerers, are printmaking tools used to apply ink or paint thinly on the printing surface. Rollers are usually made of rubber or synthetic substitutes and have various stiffnesses. Softer rollers provide greater flexibility and coverage on uneven surfaces, while harder rollers are best for inking fine details. As a convenient multi-purpose tool that can be used in any studio, the roller can be used for a variety of purposes other than printmaking, including priming, stamping, gluing for laminating or binding, or for embossing and polishing paper crafts. Our selection below will help you find the rubber roller that best suits your project needs.

This 4-inch latex rubber roller is ideal for letterpress printing and stamps, and provides smooth, even ink distribution. This soft, flexible roller is unlikely to leave roller marks when applying paint or ink, and is ideal for letterpress printing and tolerance on uneven surfaces. The rollers are easy to clean and have spherical rubber handles that provide a stable and comfortable grip.

Essdee, headquartered in the United Kingdom, produces high-quality rollers for professional printers. This reasonably priced option provides users with the brand's iconic fluency and durability. Small things like self-lubricating nylon bearings make it a noticeably fast and consistent roller.

This 4-inch acrylic drum is made of durable polymer material and is a rigid roller suitable for painting, printmaking and paper crafts. Its smooth, clear surface is easy to clean, and since rubber cement and wax will not stick to the acrylic surface, it is ideal for gluing projects. Hard and strong, it can also be used to roll out clay or as a polisher to bond layers together and press out bubbles. You can change it with rubber bands, lace or other materials to change the print texture without damaging the surface of the roller.

Falling in Art’s 2-inch rubber roller is the perfect size for inking small portions of printed matter or laminating the edges of books. You can apply or remove bubbles evenly without too much pressure, and the smooth control makes navigation a pleasure. With simple design and durability of materials, it is especially easy to wipe clean.

Although not a roller, it provides many of the same functions for home printers and artisans. Speedball's baren has an easy-to-grip handle and a round flat bottom that can slide smoothly across the surface to evenly distribute pressure. It is very suitable for making letterpress prints. Baren can be used to replace the printing machine to lift the ink from the printing block to the paper. It causes much less slippage than rollers, and is an excellent polishing tool suitable for printmaking, laminating and bonding. 

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