Conventional printing inks are largely made from fossil raw materials. Even if the the paper we use every day is plant-based, the words and images we print on it are toxic and non-biodegradable — a microcosm of our relationship with the natural world.

The printed plants catalog, an award-winning project by Zurich-based visual communication designer Nicolas Wagner, explores possibilities for reintegrating ecology into printed material through a screen-printed collection of 12 plant-based printing inks. All components of the catalog are renewable, biodegradable and the majority of the pigments are self-grown, -harvested, and -produced. In addition to the catalog with color samples and information on materials and production, the project also consists of an extensive online documentation of the entire process.

Join us for a masterclass on plant-based printing, including a discussion of common printing inks, plant based inks, and local dye plants, as well as a presentation of a locally-sourced NYC edition of the printed plants catalog. Visitors will be able to explore all stages of the printing process, from plant parts, to pigments, to inks and finished prints.

The printed plants catalog is a winner of the 2025 Punch Prize, honoring outstanding ZHdK diploma theses that innovatively address issues of ecological sustainability, the climate crisis, and the complex relationships between humans, nature, and more-than-human.