The relief print, sometimes called the surface or block print, is an image taken from any surface that has been inked by a roller or brayer.
It may be printed either in a press or by hand; in the latter case a wooden spoon can be used to rub or burnish the back of the print.
In relief printing it is the uppermost surface of the block or plate that is of prime importance, since it receives the ink.
The parts below the surface (that is, those that have been cut or gouged away) do not pick up ink and therefore do not print.
Since the unprinted areas are an integral part of the design, the gouged-out parts of the block might be said to
"print white" or whatever the colour of the printing paper.