As a printmaker I am interested in the intersection of new technology with ‘traditional’ printmaking technology, what is often termed post digital printmaking. This has played out in works that have utilised the lasercutter to laser engrave printing blocks; to engrave back into screenprints in a subtractive manner; The use of a Cricut to drawer hardground etching plates to transfer complex geometric imagery into what would traditionally be an autographic process. And the use of 3d printers to create relief blocks for printmaking.

Through the Cricut experiments and producing the work ‘Burial Mound’ my curiosity has been peaked by the translation from 3d captured imagery to 2d imagery and vice versa. my curiosity has been peaked by the translation from 3d captured imagery to 2d imagery and vice versa.

With these thoughts in mind i am looking to determine the plausibility of 3d printing onto analog printed substrates in an additive manner. The idea is to test how 3d printing elements could be incorporated directly on prints. This could be utilised to add relief elements onto wall based prints or to allow prints to be taken into a sculptural mode.

Initial research and a starting point was greatly aided by [blog post] regarding 3d printing raised braille signage and documents as an alternative to the more cost intense methods currently used.

My initial suppositions were based on a number of factors that included.

• What would be the best type of filament?
  – theorising that PLA may be too rigid to build up on a flexible paper surface and how might the 3d printed element need or want to be flexible.

• How would the filament bond to the substrate?
  – would printing onto a screenprint (using acrylic ink) aid the material adhesion to the substrate

• What would the limitations of the file type be?
  – How fine a line could be printed and to what height.

My initial interest in creating 3d models is located in the translation of 2d imagery and extrusion, using software such as Cura and Blender. The accessibility and ease of use made Cura a good starting point to create basic extruded models from 2d imagery.