[ger. Raubdruckerin: pirate printer / feminine form]
September 14, 2017 10:50 AM   Subscribe

raubdruckerin is an experimental printmaking project that uses urban structures like manhole covers [dub-like music], grids, technical objects and other surfaces of the urban landscape to create unique graphical patterns on streetwear basics, fabrics and paper. Every piece is hand printed, mainly on-site in the public space, as a footprint of the city.
posted by Johnny Wallflower (14 comments total) 26 users marked this as a favorite
 
Oh god I love this. (printmaker here, feels dumb for never thinking of this)
posted by Annika Cicada at 10:57 AM on September 14, 2017 [1 favorite]


You should be ashamed, being a feminine-form pirate and all.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 11:01 AM on September 14, 2017 [1 favorite]


anyone know what sort of ink they could be using?
posted by entropicamericana at 11:01 AM on September 14, 2017


That is so cool. I do wonder about the ink - their FAQ says that their products are washable - I guess the ink could be settable in heat, and wash off the street without the heat setting...
posted by needlegrrl at 11:29 AM on September 14, 2017


oh this is the best thing ever.
entropcamericana a quick google of the phrase "water based, eco-tex ink" which they have on their product page yielded this.


http://www.eptainks.com/en/series-product/ecotex

(tried repeatedly to get the "link" option to work, it would not. sorry.)
posted by lapolla at 11:29 AM on September 14, 2017


A friend of mine and I tried this with some spray paint on a manhole cover outside my apartment and old tshirts and sweatpants. It turned out OK, but we never got around to trying to improve on it. It being ~1990 or so, we didn't think to set up a website, either.

I had forgotten all about that evening. It also turned out that MD 20/20 isn't improved with the addition of everclear. It was a night of discovery, truly. I lost touch with that friend some decades ago. Those were tough times, but they did have their moments.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 11:34 AM on September 14, 2017 [3 favorites]


There are a few acrylic-based inks that won't dry until they are on a porous surface. I've only used them on glass or plexi, but seems like they might work on metal too. Cleans up with only water and the plates can be left out for days. So, yeah easy, safe cleanup is a thing.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 11:40 AM on September 14, 2017


Akua ink is the brand name I was thinking of. Neat stuff.
posted by 1f2frfbf at 11:48 AM on September 14, 2017 [2 favorites]


I'd totally buy stuff like this.
posted by praemunire at 11:56 AM on September 14, 2017


I do wonder about the copyright status of these. Presumably someone holds the copyright on the visual design of these objects (either the designer or the government body that commissioned the design). But it's not clear to me whether using the physical object to print that design onto fabric constitutes enough of a transformative use to qualify for protection as fair use. (And a quick search indicates that fair use and related exemptions are one of the items not included in the Berne Convention, which means that the rules are almost certainly different in each of the countries where they've done this.)
posted by firechicago at 12:29 PM on September 14, 2017


I guess the ink could be settable in heat, and wash off the street without the heat setting...

Yeahhhhhh; I didn't see a lot of, um, cleanup equipment in the site photos. #sideeye. Look! I've made your shoe a matrix! Then again I don't see pre-plate prep either. Like a shop rag and a steel wool and what seems like only enough water to thin th' ink. Confusing. Inky cuticle club represent!
posted by Ogre Lawless at 1:01 PM on September 14, 2017


My friend has one of these shirts! It's a of manhole cover and he bought it in Berlin a few year years ago. It's a great shirt and this is a great post.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 1:55 PM on September 14, 2017 [1 favorite]


I need that Berlin hoodie. I miss that city intensely.
posted by MissySedai at 9:21 PM on September 14, 2017


Japan sounds like a great place for this.
posted by ssri at 7:38 AM on September 15, 2017 [3 favorites]


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