Ink Art with 3D Printing Press (& Lino)
Tags: 3dprinting, opensource, art, maker
Published: 2021-03-08 15:36:47

{% user micktwomey %}

Mick (my other half 🥰) pointed out this open-source 3D printing press called the "Zine Machine".

{% github gestalte-design/zine-machine %}

Of course, we are excited and nearly dropped everything to try it out.

![catbug OK](https://media.giphy.com/media/51W6sXTiEbFrmhoXAe/giphy.gif)

I ordered lino printing ink, and a roller (and might as well order actual lino and lino cutters, haven't made are with lino since I was 15/16yo, that's nearly 3 decades ago 😭). 

###### Memories of stabbing my hand, and warming my Lino Block on the heater to warm it up so it's easier to carve. And I'm not the only one...😆 (BTW, great video, tips and tricks from Jazza)
{% youtube sS5xScE2bPI %}

![cat buy buy](https://media.giphy.com/media/WuRVwQ8VIO8FC7ZxZH/giphy.gif)

If you are curious, I ordered the materials from [Vibes and Scribes](https://www.vibesandscribes.ie/) who are based in Cork. Got my mats within days.

* [2 small Soft Cut Lino Block](https://www.vibesandscribes.ie/soft-cut-lino-block-dark-grey/) (never used this one before)
* [2 larger Lino Block](https://www.vibesandscribes.ie/grey-lino-block/) - this is the one closer to what I used way back
* [Lino block printing ink](https://www.vibesandscribes.ie/lino-block-printing-ink-250ml/) - got black, red and yellow
* [Roller](https://www.vibesandscribes.ie/lino-roller/)
* [Lino cutter tool kit](https://www.vibesandscribes.ie/lino-cutters-handle-5pcs/) - Pretty basic kit to get you started

Mick printed out the printing press over several days on our Prusa. They used [Prusa MK3S+](https://www.prusa3d.com/original-prusa-i3-mk3/) and that's the one we have as well. 

While that was happening, I tried my hand a lino cutting. All I remember when I did it so many moons ago was stabbing my left hand with the lino cutter. Thankfully that didn't happen. I decided to us **Soft Cut Lino Block** as it looks softer and thinner than the normal Lino Block. And it was a lot easier to carve into. So I picked Totoro (toss up between it and a character from Animal Crossing New Horizons 😆).

![FE373010-7026-4DFA-A065-D9CF5772C6FB_1_105_c](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/lzmu8yzolrf8zui3mb2b.jpeg)
![25A9B80A-C1D9-43F2-A50D-C23658001D53_1_105_c](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/x1i4lnscxvqpq9izrzyy.jpeg)
  
And the completed lino cut, my basic lino v-shape cutter was not fine enough, so as I cut deeper into the groove, it took off the details of the nose, which makes Totoro look weird 😅: 

![FAA71CF6-30CC-4825-89D4-C0BD777FFE6C_1_105_c](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/l4v9psmyt0zx4jxxz0qr.jpeg)
![F2A42D5A-8B15-4AA0-B6E2-9C317058349D_1_105_c](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/fmfpevpw4mzes3fwo7vb.jpeg)
  
Now to get some ink on:

![59B3E629-9835-4022-8C9E-21B46AFC0235_1_105_c](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/i2wwns8hqpp6p2tq6cy7.jpeg)
 
![2EDCE8EC-E8E2-4904-A594-4836F07F6158_1_105_c](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/jdlr4nxzt2k27ikm9rfb.jpeg)

I filled in one with black ink to as close as what I wanted from the lino cutting, still, no bad for 1st attempt! 🙌
![CF4827A4-C124-45AB-B357-EEAF105073E4_1_105_c](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/hlob836nez78mw70nkr5.jpeg)

# 3D Printed Print Press

![39A33AF7-CCE6-4CEC-97AA-39F4E84256C0_1_105_c](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/fv8n0m5fg41y6o4za3zi.jpeg)

![EEF827FD-BD33-45DE-A560-1B596954D562_1_105_c](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/bs37xbxbv3qt6codragz.jpeg)

I didn't get pics of it being put together, but you can find it via https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20210226-zine-machine/ if you are curious.

We used [Prusa's Galaxy Black PLA](https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/prusament/711-prusament-pla-prusa-galaxy-black-1kg.html).
  
# That 3D printed custom plate
Next I wanted to make some basic line art, or get something online and edit it and see if I can turn 2D to 3D model to print out on our prusa for the print press.

I found this [black cat vector art](https://publicdomainvectors.org/en/free-clipart/Cute-cat-portrait-vector-image/26899.html) and modified it for 2 of my other cats on [Affinity Designer](https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/designer/). 

When I exported to SVG, and tried to import it into [TinkerCAD](https://www.tinkercad.com/), it kept coming up with an error.

It looks like you need to remove `width` and `height` parameters from SVG. 🙄

It imported but inverted to what I wanted. So I went back to Infinity Designer and see if I can create a background (rectangle) and subtract my cat image, re-export it. It kinda worked but had a frame around it and not cat on its own. 🤔

![Screenshot 2021-03-08 at 11.07.03](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/i838www8lhf1fpjmwp8m.png)

Did a bit of searching (incl. videos), probably best way was to export to PNG and use an online convertor like [https://convertio.co/](https://convertio.co/) to export to SVG. So I did that, export each of my kitties to PNG, converted to SVG online and imported them to TinkerCAD. And guess what, it worked!

I then followed the [Zine Machine's instructions to get it ready for 3D printing](https://github.com/gestalte-design/zine-machine/blob/main/Instructions/creating-plates.pdf).

![Screenshot 2021-03-08 at 11.57.44](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/y9osqg2kp5qub7ai4q38.png)
 
Sent that on to Mick, and he used Prusa's [Slic3r](https://www.prusa3d.com/prusaslicer/) to put it together with the plate.

By the way, Prusa themselves have a page on how to convert 2D image to a 3D model ready for printing: https://blog.prusaprinters.org/from-2d-to-3d-how-to-turn-a-picture-or-a-photo-into-a-3d-model_8882/

Now to get it printed... 

![waiting](https://media.giphy.com/media/tXL4FHPSnVJ0A/giphy.gif)