About
Hey there, welcome to The Print Archive. Your go-to online shop for those seeking unique and exlusive print designs. Founded in Amsterdam by Raisa Kingma in 2023. We want to give the print-design marketplace a good old makeover and we are committed to mobilizing the move online for brands and clients to optimize business efficiency, remove time barriers, and allow the industry to become truly global 24/7, 365 days a year.
Our webshop builds on over a decade of industry expertise and a strong foundation in design education, giving us the privilege of creating countless unique print designs.
Before The Print Archive began its journey, Raisa created hundreds—perhaps thousands—of prints. Most of them found their way onto the streets, while others remained hidden treasures, each carrying its own unique story and value.
Determined to safeguard the unreleased works, Raisa carefully archived and digitalised them, building a digital library overflowing with creativity and inspiration. In her spare time, she continued to expand this collection. This archive became the foundation for The Print Archive.
Our mission is simple: to make your life easier and your brand even more inspiring. Rather than borrowing ideas from existing prints, we aim to empower you to become the very source of inspiration. We draw creativity from the vibrant streets and the beauty of nature surrounding us, ensuring your prints are one-of-a-kind, setting them apart from any others out there.
By registering, you gain access to a secure, private shopping experience. To protect the exclusivity of our designs, we carefully review all registrations and welcome professionals in fashion, interior, and lifestyle industries. This ensures our prints remain safe while helping you find the perfect design to bring your vision to life.
On the sidelines we will be here to guide you through the process whenever you need a helping hand or we can help refine or customize your prints to fit your vision.
Mother Nature
At our studio, we are very aware of the profound impact of the fashion, interior and lifestyle industry on our planet. Recognizing the responsibility we bear, we believe that sustainability begins right from the design process itself. From the first spark of inspiration to the final touches. That’s why we have implemented a range of eco-conscious practices to ensure that our designs are as gentle on the planet as possible.
Starting with the initial stages of ideation and sketching, we embrace a philosophy of reuse and resourcefulness. We prioritize reusing paper for our sketches, giving a second life to every sheet and reducing unnecessary waste. We also limit printing to what is absolutely necessary, rarely relying on our print and copy machine.
Where possible, we opt for using plant-based inks, such as vegetable based inks that are eco-friendly and biodegradable so we minimize the release of harmful chemicals into the environment.
Our designs are created using as few color layers as possible, while still achieving the highest color gradients by blending colors at the pixel level. This reduces the number of colors required during the production process, resulting in fewer harmful chemicals being used and making the production process more cost-effective as well.
That’s why our digital approach aligns seamlessly with our minimal waste ethic, by harnessing the power of technology and reducing the need for physical prints.
However, we acknowledge that simply going digital is not enough, as the digital processes we rely on also generate CO2 emissions. That’s why The Print Archive is here to provide a cutting-edge, for every 5 prints purchased, we plant a tree as part of our effort to offset emissions.
We know that print design is only a small part of the overall production process in the fashion, interior and lifestyle industries. The largest environmental impact often occurs during manufacturing and production, which is why we encourage the brands we work with to also adopt sustainable practices in those phases. While our part may be smaller, we still feel a responsibility to lead by example and inspire others to make more sustainable choices. True sustainability requires collective efforts across the entire production process.
By making conscious choices, embracing innovative techniques, and reimagining traditional practices, we can make a difference in reducing the environmental impact of the industry. It’s a small step, but one that contributes to our larger goal of achieving a more sustainable future.
The True Journey Of Print Creation
The journey of print creation at The Print Archive is filled with inspiration, brushes, pixels, and a touch of magic.
We strike inspiration from all corners of the universe, soaking up all the beauty that surrounds us. Nature is our best friend, with all its wonders and vibrant flora and fauna.
The city brings its own energy, buzzing with movement and ever-changing scenes.
We also dive headfirst into the cultural melting pot, immersing ourselves in traditional art, contemporary trends, and everything in between, it all adds to the mix.
And of course, books and music transport us to far-off lands and spark emotions we didn’t even know we had, bringing depth and stories into our design.
At The Print Archive, every step of our design process is a carefully crafted journey, where every step is an adventure. Here’s a closer look at how our designs come to life.
1. We start with diving into the world of inspiration. It’s like a treasure hunt for artistic gems, whether its a beautiful pattern showing up in the sand during a sunday beachwalk with our dogs, or a hidden treasure we discover in a dusty vintage bookshop.
2: With photography, paint, ink, pens, brushes, pixels and a lot of imagination, we unleash our creativity and create digital, or hand-drawn and painted illustrations in the most sustainable way possible.
3: These artistic expressions are then scanned in high resolution, allowing us to merge the analog and digital worlds.
4: The refinement and layout design phase is where the real magic happens. We’re twisting and turning creative elements until they click together in perfect harmony and a seamless all-over print.
And voila! That’s how our designs go from inspirations to reality. It’s a rollercoaster ride of imagination, trial & error, and a whole lot of fun along the way. But, we’ve got a secret ingredient that makes all the difference. It’s called the “energy of love and joy”. And we firmly believe that when that product finally reaches your hands, you’ll feel that magical potion of love and joy oozing out of every pixel, every stitch, or whatever form it takes.
