Ukiyo-e Woodblock Printing - Hydrangia

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With this 3D printed woodblock Ukiyo-e technique, print as many pictures as you like in a super relaxing way that's great for spending the day. All you need is someone with a 3D printer and some basic art supplies. These 3D files were created by manually tracing lines and colour separating instead of using automatic software, which produces warmer reproductions of the original artwork, just like listening to a vinyl record rather than digital. The result is a more beautiful and true version of famous Japanese works. You can print your own pictures using acrylic, watercolour or ink on paper or cloth. This design is a landscape print for a paper size of approximately A4, but I recommend larger to have a border. It consists of 6 'woodblocks' named with numbers that suggest the order of printing. Refer to my finished image or even the original for colour reference, but choose your own colours by all means. I number all the files to show the order in which they should be used, so you don't get some layers hiding the layer beneath it. The plates will last for many prints and if you use acrylic, which dries quickly, you don't have to wash the first layer of old paint off. In fact, the surface gets better after one layer has dried onto it, but you should wash paint off from subsequent print sessions to avoid build-up. I usually place them in soapy water and wash all together only when I'm done with the session. 3D Print settings: I personally use a 0.6mm nozzle and a 0.3mm layer for speed, but a regular 0.4mm nozzle with a 0.2mm layer will give you even better detail but takes longer. The prints generally require a 300mm x 300mm print size if your 3D printer is smaller then just scale the plates down, but only in the X and Y directions, not the Z, to maintain the same thickness. This is important for the ukiyo-e printing technique to work properly. Use printer settings that create 100% solids rather than honeycomb inside, as the results will be better. Don't just set 100% infill setting to achieve a solid print, as this normally makes the 3D printer do long stretches of print head zigzagging while it tries to do a very fine honeycomb structure. Instead, specify a high enough number for the 'top/bottom infill layers', higher than the number of actual layers required to print the panel. The printer will then be forced to do a more efficient back and forth movement pattern for every single layer, resulting in a better version of 100% infill with smoother movement and less vibrations. After printing each plate, use a sanding block and 120+ grit sandpaper to make the top surface really flat so it holds paint evenly. This doesn't take long if you have used PLA plastic, as it is quite soft. Note that the solid strip of plastic at the top does not need sanding, it's there for you to attach your paper using masking tape - see my instruction PDF called 'The Kit'. More designs are coming soon. Enjoy!