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Design

The Open Press Project is Making the World’s Smallest 3D-Printed Press Even Tinier

A few years ago, Cologne-based designers Martin Schneider and Dominik Schmitz noticed that access to intaglio printmaking resources was limited because presses are prohibitively expensive, require lots of space, and are often located in private workshops or institutions. To make the practice more accessible, the artists launched the world’s first 3D-printed etching press in 2018, and the Open Press Project was born. Schneider and Schmitz’s miniature, open-source, fully-functional model allowed people to download and assemble the machine themselves at a fraction of the cost of a traditional press—and a fraction of the size!

Now, Schneider and Schmitz are scaling up by scaling way down in a new Kickstarter campaign that launches the smallest press they could make. Complete with ball bearings and a stainless steel roller, “it can be used for any intaglio and relief technique, like drypoint, etching, engraving, or linocuts and woodcuts of up to 13 millimeter thickness.” Learn to make your own press and tiny prints on the project’s website and join its growing community on Instagram.

 

Art Design History

Download and 3D-Print 18,000 Artifacts from Art History through Scan the World

Scan the World might be one of the only institutions where visitors are encouraged to handle the most-valued sculptures and artifacts from art history. The open-source museum hosts an impressive archive of 18,000 digital scans—the eclectic collection spans artworks like the “Bust of Nefertiti,” the “Fourth Gate of Vaubam Fortress,” Rodin’s “The Thinker,” and Michelangelo’s “David” in addition to other items like chimpanzee skulls—that are available for download and 3D printing in a matter of hours.

Searchable by collection, artist, and location, Scan the World recently teamed up with Google Arts and Culture, which partners with more than 2,000 institutions, to add thousands of additional pieces to the platform. Each page shares information about an artifact’s history and location, in addition to technical details like dimensions, complexity, and time to print—scroll down on to view images of finished pieces uploaded by the community, too. While much of the collection focuses on Western art, it’s currently bolstering two sections that explore works from India and China.

Scan the World is part of My Mini Factory, which is the largest platform for 3D-printed objects. If you’re new to the process, check out the site’s wide range of tutorials, including tips for beginners,  how to scan with your phone, and techniques for using drones to capture hard-to-reach works. (via Open Culture)

 

Design

A 3D-Printed Press Brings Printmaking to the People

Last year, Martin Schneider rolled out the Open Press Project, which provided printing plans for the world’s first fully functional 3D-printed printmaking press, and was downloaded by more than 12,000 people. As a follow-up to that successful open-source endeavor, Schneider is offerings folks who don’t have their own 3-D-printing abilities the option to get a press through a new Kickstarter campaign. Traditionally, printing presses are prohibitively expensive and extremely heavy. Schneider has managed costs in part by shrinking the press down to a 5.7 by 2.95 inch printing area, but includes the usual steel roller and woven blanket found on a full-sized press. The cost of each petite press available through Open Press Project’s Kickstarter comes out to around $60. You can follow the project on Instagram, and download plans to use with your own 3D-printer on the Open Press Project website. (via Colossal Submissions)