iPhoneography

Many devouring photographers don’t really think about printing their work and let content live on their phones, external hard drives, and social networks. A new textile printing method could change that mindset.

The Lumi Process is a revolutionary photographic print process for textiles and natural materials. They believe photographs shouldn’t be limited to a page or a frame. They’re meant to be lived with, cared for, and last forever. Lumi allows you to print your Instagram photo’s on natural fibers to create photography you can touch.

The process is simple, requiring only that you spread your dye of choice on a material, then place anything that casts a shadow on top of it. Inkodyes are light sensitive dyes which are “developed” by the sun.  A short video on Lumi’s site explains how the process works. First, pick your favorite photo and print out a negative on transparent film. Lumi has developed a great app called Lumityper which lets iPhone users quickly turn their phone images into black and white negatives. Then, apply a layer of Inkodye across a natural fabric of your choice, pin the negative to the fabric above the dye, and leave it out in the sun, where the print develops. Finally, wash the print with Lumi’s textile detergent to make sure the image stops developing. The result is a high quality photographic image permanently affixed to a cotton t-shirt or leather bag, without the hassle of screens or expensive equipment.

Preorder now to reserve your kit here. It’s a $35 kit that includes most of the components of The Lumi Process: three bottles of dye in red, orange, and blue, a stencil, a test negative, and instructions. Don’t forget to buy the textile detergent to rinse out unexposed dye.

Printstagram
Something else I found surfing the web is Printstagram. They make your Instagram photos physical, with wonderful products that match the quality and magic of the app itself. Check out their posters, minibooks, miniprints ,t-shirts en stickers. It’s worth a visit.