Art prints keeping sustainability in mind

I just delivered a set of my Akai prints to Studio Biku’s new space. On the back of the prints I included description of the sustainable decisions I made and I thought this would be a great topic for here. Whether you are a fellow artist or a lover of the arts, I hope this will give you some things to consider when creating and buying prints.

The art supplies:

For the original art, I used sumi, a soot-based ink stick. I ground the ink with water on an ink stone to produce a liquid ink as I need it. I did the same with a red ink stick for the red highlights. I used brushes made of bamboo and natural bristles, and I worked on paper made of fast-growing bamboo and recycled fibers. In two of the ink paintings I also used refillable Copic pens with aluminum exteriors.

The company:

I worked with Print Tokyo, a local small business. By working with a local company I could reduce the carbon footprint produced by importing from a cheaper company while also supporting a fellow small business.

The paper:

Print Tokyo had a variety of papers to choose from including two types of bamboo paper, one from Awagami Factory. Bamboo is fast-growing and it can be a great alternative to wood pulp paper. I also really like the subtle textures the bamboo paper had.

The packaging:

Because these prints are on display in a shop, I needed to think about a protective display. I used a cardboard window without plastic gloss. Then I wrapped them in biodegradable cellophane and sealed with paper-based tape.

If you have any questions or your own recommendations, comment below.

As always, Thank you for considering sustainable decisions.