piece. Sample substrates included irregu lar laser cut puzzle-shaped pieces, copper cloth, etched acrylic, Dibond brushed aluminum, and acrylic tiles. To create a substrate for Organic Floral, (seen on the cover of this issue), I stretched pieces of copper cloth, then soaked them in acid, salts and ammonia, and sealed them in plastic to let natural organic pigments form a patina on the faux canvas surface. After unwrapping the metal canvas, it oxidized further to create natural abstract patterns. This canvas was then photographed so a digital image could be mapped over the natural pattern. Because white ink could be used to cover some areas, I was able to digitally recreate the colors and print additions to the image to make it appear as though my additions were formed naturally. I also created a free-hanging tapestry series, Random Repetition, by drill ing and cutting 6" x 6" tile pieces on a router. I designed the tiles to be as sembled with antiqued brass straps. To print the image, a grid was first printed 32 n Digital graphics n february 2008 DGFeb08.indd 32 1/2/08 9:13:09 AM Ability Plastic s president, Mike Nuzzo (center), Ted Krause (right), and Jason Graczyk (left) printing one of Bonny Lhotka original pieces using the firm s Durst Rho Pictor UV-curing flatbed printer.other art form, providing the op portunity to create added meaning in an intimate structure. In this case study, Dorothy Simpson Krause created the pages for an artist s book by printing landscape photographs over acrylic paste under paintings. Acrylic paste paint is thick in tex ture, rich in color, varying in opacity and makes a wonderful surface for book pages. A mixture of wheat paste (see rec ipe below) and acrylic paint, it is quick to make, keeps well in the refrigerator, and is an effective under-painting for printing. Krause covered a large sheet of paper with acrylic paste paint in colors related to her book. Because her book is land scape based, she painted in horizontal bands across the grain of the paper and on a sheet of PVC. Then the tiles were taped to the grid for alignment and the image was printed onto the tiles. The most complex work for the ex hibit used shapes laser cut from glass green-edge acrylic. One reason I chose the Pictor to create the works for this show is that it is one of the few UV curing printers I ve used with inks that adhere well to acrylic. A white channel consisting of a cir cular gradient was used under the im age that was printed onto the tiles. A variation of the same file was imaged a second time onto 36" x 72" brushed aluminum Dibond panels. The metal lic surface of the Dibond reflects from under the stack of acrylic pieces. To assemble the piece, I used Lord brand adhesive 406-19 to glue the acrylic to the Dibond. A 1"x 3" wooden frame was bonded to the back with a French cleat at the top for hanging the panels flat on the wall. I worked for three days to produce 24 pieces totaling approximately 335 square feet of images. Many were printed on both sides of 1/4" acrylic to create a sense of depth. As a result of the success of this collaborative experience, Abil ity Plastics plans to continue working with artists. CASE STUDY: CLIMATE CHANGE Although some of today s greatest museum treasures are early books hieroglyphics on papyrus, illuminated manuscripts on vellum, and oriental scrolls the idea of defining books by artists as unique works of art only dates back to the 1960 s. Interest in book arts continues to grow, largely due to the fact that it can encompass virtually any DGFeb08.indd 33 Use FAST #159 1/2/08 9:13:56 AM