Tools shape practice shapes tools... - Revision history

Manetta at 15:31, 16 January 2026

2026-01-16T15:31:14Z

Manetta: /* A network of networks */

2025-10-02T18:44:35Z

A network of networks

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:44, 2 October 2025
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	OSP’s work on '''html2print''' generates interest among design students in France and Belgium. Designers, clients and publishers are increasingly interested in these experimental workflows and writing environments, including graphic designers <strong>Raphael Bastide</strong> and <strong>Sarah Garcin</strong> who found <strong>PrePostPrint</strong> in 2017 (PrePostPrint, 2024). Calling themselves a '''community of practice''', they launch the initiative with a well-attended meeting in Paris (Raphaël Bastide and Quentin Juhel, 2024). The energy is mainly techno-aesthetic and their relationship with Free Software pragmatic. <strong>Quentin Juhel</strong>, <strong>Julien Bidoret</strong>, <strong>Julie Blanc</strong>, <strong>Lucile Haute</strong> and <strong>Julien Taquet</strong> join and PrePostPrint grows into a strong French-speaking network that is regularly invited to give workshops at art schools across France.		OSP’s work on '''html2print''' generates interest among design students in France and Belgium. Designers, clients and publishers are increasingly interested in these experimental workflows and writing environments, including graphic designers <strong>Raphael Bastide</strong> and <strong>Sarah Garcin</strong> who found <strong>PrePostPrint</strong> in 2017 (PrePostPrint, 2024). Calling themselves a '''community of practice''', they launch the initiative with a well-attended meeting in Paris (Raphaël Bastide and Quentin Juhel, 2024). The energy is mainly techno-aesthetic and their relationship with Free Software pragmatic. <strong>Quentin Juhel</strong>, <strong>Julien Bidoret</strong>, <strong>Julie Blanc</strong>, <strong>Lucile Haute</strong> and <strong>Julien Taquet</strong> join and PrePostPrint grows into a strong French-speaking network that is regularly invited to give workshops at art schools across France.

	An important node in the network-of-networks is <strong>Varia</strong>, a “collective space for everyday technology” is found in Rotterdam by a group of former XPUB students in the same year (Varia, 2024). For Varia the making of publications is part of its practice, and their intersecting interest in collective work, feminist servers and custom tools leads to new ways of working and distinct aesthetics. In 2019, <strong>Hackers and Designers</strong> emerges in Amsterdam, playfully interrogating the role of code in graphic design practices (Hackers and Designers, 2024). In a range of other places, enthusiasm for FLOSS design practices grows, resulting in interconnected publishing initiatives such as <strong>Greyscale Press</strong>, <strong>Freeze+Press</strong> (Haag), book sprints and ideas around ''''single source publishing'''' (Hyde). Some of the experimentations are ported to academic environments such as the <strong>Hybrid Publishing Lab</strong> at Leuphana University in Lüneburg and the <strong>Hybrid Publishing Consortium</strong> (Worthington). The research project <strong>Hybrid Publishing Toolkit for the Arts</strong>, led by the Amsterdam based <strong>Institute for Network Cultures</strong>, collaborates with <strong>Creating 010</strong> at the <strong>Willem de Kooning Academy</strong> in Rotterdam, and continues as a course and publishing project until today. <strong>Servus</strong> organises a '''Des*gn Week''' in Linz, ex-XPUB <strong>Alex Roidl</strong> contributes to the '''Hybrid Publishing Systems curriculum''' and <strong>Simon</strong> and <strong>Manetta</strong> launch '''Creative Crowds''' (CC), a dedicated server for FLOSS publishing experiments. The '''Experimental Publishing Compendium''' is launched as part of the '''COPIM''' project, and an axis emerges between Canada and France around '''Inachevé d'imprimer'''. Recently in the UK context, a new initiative brings together an interest in feminist servers with FLOSS publishing: <strong>Servpub</strong> puts into practice the term 'computational publishing' that we learned from <strong>Winnie Soon</strong>, co-produced by <strong>Systerserver</strong>, <strong>In-grid</strong>, <strong>noNames</strong>, <strong>SHAPE</strong>, <strong>Creative Crowds</strong> and publisher <strong>Minor Compositions</strong>.		An important node in the network-of-networks is <strong>Varia</strong>, a “collective space for everyday technology” is found in Rotterdam by a group of former XPUB students in the same year (Varia, 2024). For Varia the making of publications is part of its practice, and their intersecting interest in collective work, feminist servers and custom tools leads to new ways of working and distinct aesthetics. In 2019, <strong>Hackers and Designers</strong> emerges in Amsterdam, playfully interrogating the role of code in graphic design practices (Hackers and Designers, 2024). In a range of other places, enthusiasm for FLOSS design practices grows, resulting in interconnected publishing initiatives such as <strong>Greyscale Press</strong>, <strong>Freeze+Press</strong> (Haag), book sprints and ideas around ''''single source publishing'''' (Hyde). Some of the experimentations are ported to academic environments such as the <strong>Hybrid Publishing Lab</strong> at Leuphana University in Lüneburg and the <strong>Hybrid Publishing Consortium</strong> (Worthington). The research project <strong>Hybrid Publishing Toolkit for the Arts</strong>, led by the Amsterdam based <strong>Institute for Network Cultures</strong>, collaborates with <strong>Creating 010</strong> at the <strong>Willem de Kooning Academy</strong> in Rotterdam, and continues as a course and publishing project until today. <strong>Servus</strong> organises a '''Des*gn Week''' in Linz, ex-XPUB <strong>Alex Roidl</strong> contributes to the '''Hybrid Publishing Systems curriculum''' and <strong>Simon Browne</strong> and <strong>Manetta Berends</strong> launch '''Creative Crowds''' (CC), a dedicated server for FLOSS publishing experiments. The '''Experimental Publishing Compendium''' is launched as part of the '''COPIM''' project, and an axis emerges between Canada and France around '''Inachevé d'imprimer'''. Recently in the UK context, a new initiative brings together an interest in feminist servers with FLOSS publishing: <strong>Servpub</strong> puts into practice the term 'computational publishing' that we learned from <strong>Winnie Soon</strong>, co-produced by <strong>Systerserver</strong>, <strong>In-grid</strong>, <strong>noNames</strong>, <strong>SHAPE</strong>, <strong>Creative Crowds</strong> and publisher <strong>Minor Compositions</strong>.

	In 2022, <strong>Simon</strong> and <strong>Manetta</strong> feel it is time to create more visibility and space for these graphic design practices, which prompts '''Publishing Partyline''', a radio programme and two-day event (Varia, 2022a). The <strong>PrePostPrint</strong> network is meanwhile looking for a next step, and a large delegation travels to Rotterdam to participate in the event. As <strong>Amélie Dumont</strong> puts it in one of the radio interviews, <span class="quote">«we have to work in other ways and find other ways of doing»</span> (Berends, 2023).		In 2022, <strong>Simon</strong> and <strong>Manetta</strong> feel it is time to create more visibility and space for these graphic design practices, which prompts '''Publishing Partyline''', a radio programme and two-day event (Varia, 2022a). The <strong>PrePostPrint</strong> network is meanwhile looking for a next step, and a large delegation travels to Rotterdam to participate in the event. As <strong>Amélie Dumont</strong> puts it in one of the radio interviews, <span class="quote">«we have to work in other ways and find other ways of doing»</span> (Berends, 2023).

Manetta: /* A network of networks */

2025-10-02T18:42:14Z

A network of networks

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:42, 2 October 2025
Line 33:		Line 33:
	OSP’s work on '''html2print''' generates interest among design students in France and Belgium. Designers, clients and publishers are increasingly interested in these experimental workflows and writing environments, including graphic designers <strong>Raphael Bastide</strong> and <strong>Sarah Garcin</strong> who found <strong>PrePostPrint</strong> in 2017 (PrePostPrint, 2024). Calling themselves a '''community of practice''', they launch the initiative with a well-attended meeting in Paris (Raphaël Bastide and Quentin Juhel, 2024). The energy is mainly techno-aesthetic and their relationship with Free Software pragmatic. <strong>Quentin Juhel</strong>, <strong>Julien Bidoret</strong>, <strong>Julie Blanc</strong>, <strong>Lucile Haute</strong> and <strong>Julien Taquet</strong> join and PrePostPrint grows into a strong French-speaking network that is regularly invited to give workshops at art schools across France.		OSP’s work on '''html2print''' generates interest among design students in France and Belgium. Designers, clients and publishers are increasingly interested in these experimental workflows and writing environments, including graphic designers <strong>Raphael Bastide</strong> and <strong>Sarah Garcin</strong> who found <strong>PrePostPrint</strong> in 2017 (PrePostPrint, 2024). Calling themselves a '''community of practice''', they launch the initiative with a well-attended meeting in Paris (Raphaël Bastide and Quentin Juhel, 2024). The energy is mainly techno-aesthetic and their relationship with Free Software pragmatic. <strong>Quentin Juhel</strong>, <strong>Julien Bidoret</strong>, <strong>Julie Blanc</strong>, <strong>Lucile Haute</strong> and <strong>Julien Taquet</strong> join and PrePostPrint grows into a strong French-speaking network that is regularly invited to give workshops at art schools across France.

	An important node in the network-of-networks is <strong>Varia</strong>, a “collective space for everyday technology” is found in Rotterdam by a group of former XPUB students in the same year (Varia, 2024). For Varia the making of publications is part of its practice, and their intersecting interest in collective work, feminist servers and custom tools leads to new ways of working and distinct aesthetics. In 2019, <strong>Hackers and Designers</strong> emerges in Amsterdam, playfully interrogating the role of code in graphic design practices (Hackers and Designers, 2024). In a range of other places, enthusiasm for FLOSS design practices grows, resulting in interconnected publishing initiatives such as <strong>Greyscale Press</strong>, <strong>Freeze+Press</strong> (Haag), book sprints and ideas around ''''single source publishing'''' (Hyde). Some of the experimentations are ported to academic environments such as the <strong>Hybrid Publishing Lab</strong> at Leuphana University in Lüneburg and the <strong>Hybrid Publishing Consortium</strong> (Worthington). The research project <strong>Hybrid Publishing Toolkit for the Arts</strong>, led by the Amsterdam based <strong>Institute for Network Cultures</strong>, collaborates with <strong>Creating 010</strong> at the <strong>Willem de Kooning Academy</strong> in Rotterdam, and continues as a course and publishing project until today. <strong>Servus</strong> organises a '''Des*gn Week''' in Linz, ~~and~~ ex-XPUB <strong>Alex Roidl</strong> contributes to the '''Hybrid Publishing Systems curriculum'''. The '''Experimental Publishing Compendium''' is launched as part of the '''COPIM''' project, and an axis emerges between Canada and France around '''Inachevé d'imprimer'''. Recently in the UK context, a new initiative brings together an interest in feminist servers with FLOSS publishing. <strong>Servpub</strong> puts into practice the term 'computational publishing' that we learned from <strong>Winnie Soon</strong>.		An important node in the network-of-networks is <strong>Varia</strong>, a “collective space for everyday technology” is found in Rotterdam by a group of former XPUB students in the same year (Varia, 2024). For Varia the making of publications is part of its practice, and their intersecting interest in collective work, feminist servers and custom tools leads to new ways of working and distinct aesthetics. In 2019, <strong>Hackers and Designers</strong> emerges in Amsterdam, playfully interrogating the role of code in graphic design practices (Hackers and Designers, 2024). In a range of other places, enthusiasm for FLOSS design practices grows, resulting in interconnected publishing initiatives such as <strong>Greyscale Press</strong>, <strong>Freeze+Press</strong> (Haag), book sprints and ideas around ''''single source publishing'''' (Hyde). Some of the experimentations are ported to academic environments such as the <strong>Hybrid Publishing Lab</strong> at Leuphana University in Lüneburg and the <strong>Hybrid Publishing Consortium</strong> (Worthington). The research project <strong>Hybrid Publishing Toolkit for the Arts</strong>, led by the Amsterdam based <strong>Institute for Network Cultures</strong>, collaborates with <strong>Creating 010</strong> at the <strong>Willem de Kooning Academy</strong> in Rotterdam, and continues as a course and publishing project until today. <strong>Servus</strong> organises a '''Des*gn Week''' in Linz, ex-XPUB <strong>Alex Roidl</strong> contributes to the '''Hybrid Publishing Systems curriculum''' and <strong>Simon</strong> and <strong>Manetta</strong> launch '''Creative Crowds''' (CC), a dedicated server for FLOSS publishing experiments. The '''Experimental Publishing Compendium''' is launched as part of the '''COPIM''' project, and an axis emerges between Canada and France around '''Inachevé d'imprimer'''. Recently in the UK context, a new initiative brings together an interest in feminist servers with FLOSS publishing: <strong>Servpub</strong> puts into practice the term 'computational publishing' that we learned from <strong>Winnie Soon</strong>, co-produced by <strong>Systerserver</strong>, <strong>In-grid</strong>, <strong>noNames</strong>, <strong>SHAPE</strong>, <strong>Creative Crowds</strong> and publisher <strong>Minor Compositions</strong>.

	In 2022, <strong>Simon</strong> and <strong>Manetta</strong> feel it is time to create more visibility and space for these graphic design practices, which prompts '''Publishing Partyline''', a radio programme and two-day event (Varia, 2022a). The <strong>PrePostPrint</strong> network is meanwhile looking for a next step, and a large delegation travels to Rotterdam to participate in the event. As <strong>Amélie Dumont</strong> puts it in one of the radio interviews, <span class="quote">«we have to work in other ways and find other ways of doing»</span> (Berends, 2023).		In 2022, <strong>Simon</strong> and <strong>Manetta</strong> feel it is time to create more visibility and space for these graphic design practices, which prompts '''Publishing Partyline''', a radio programme and two-day event (Varia, 2022a). The <strong>PrePostPrint</strong> network is meanwhile looking for a next step, and a large delegation travels to Rotterdam to participate in the event. As <strong>Amélie Dumont</strong> puts it in one of the radio interviews, <span class="quote">«we have to work in other ways and find other ways of doing»</span> (Berends, 2023).

Manetta at 18:26, 2 October 2025

2025-10-02T18:26:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:26, 2 October 2025
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	=== Etherpad ===		=== Etherpad ===

	The collaborative word processing software '''etherpad''' is widely used in cultural organisations and educational situations. Not only does '''etherpad''' allow working on the same document simultaneously in an accessible way, but unlike commercial counterparts, it also offers easy export to plain text. This allows programmatic, content and style adjustments to be made on the same page, and that exciting feature sparked many customised tools (Image 23-25). As <strong>Martino</strong> observes in Constant Padology, maintaining the software and working on the visual layout is therefore done in close collaboration: <span class="quote">«Publishing with experimental pipelines means the collapse of the rigid separation between editorial work, design work, development, and infrastructure care»</span> (Morandi, 2023, para. 19). A few examples: '''Ethertoff''', collective web and print publishing tool introduced by <strong>OSP</strong> in 2013 in the context of Relearn. '''Etherbox''', a constellation of, among other things, a local server and Etherpads used in collective sessions for note-taking, source material sharing and publication, developed in the context of Constant. '''etherdump''', a command-line tool that stores pads as files to be indexed and archived, developed by <strong>Michael Murtaugh</strong>. '''Etherpash''' uses homemade local marker code to trigger any commandline action, developed by <strong>Christoph Haag</strong> for ''I think that conversations are the best, biggest thing that Free Software has to offer its user''. For '''octomode''' see section 4.2. '''DEViation''' is developed by <strong>Luuse</strong> for a two-day workshop, and <strong>Martino</strong> devises '''Tardigraph''', a web interface that allows writing and generating code together for diagrams with '''graphviz'''.		The collaborative word processing software '''etherpad''' is widely used in cultural organisations and educational situations. Not only does '''etherpad''' allow working on the same document simultaneously in an accessible way, but unlike commercial counterparts, it also offers easy export to plain text. This allows programmatic, content and style adjustments to be made on the same page, and that exciting feature sparked many customised tools (Image 23-25). As <strong>Martino</strong> observes in ''Constant Padology'', maintaining the software and working on the visual layout is therefore done in close collaboration: <span class="quote">«Publishing with experimental pipelines means the collapse of the rigid separation between editorial work, design work, development, and infrastructure care»</span> (Morandi, 2023, para. 19). A few examples: '''Ethertoff''', collective web and print publishing tool introduced by <strong>OSP</strong> in 2013 in the context of Relearn. '''Etherbox''', a constellation of, among other things, a local server and Etherpads used in collective sessions for note-taking, source material sharing and publication, developed in the context of Constant. '''etherdump''', a command-line tool that stores pads as files to be indexed and archived, developed by <strong>Michael Murtaugh</strong>. '''Etherpash''' uses homemade local marker code to trigger any commandline action, developed by <strong>Christoph Haag</strong> for ''I think that conversations are the best, biggest thing that Free Software has to offer its user''. For '''octomode''' see section 4.2. '''DEViation''' is developed by <strong>Luuse</strong> for a two-day workshop, and <strong>Martino</strong> devises '''Tardigraph''', a web interface that allows writing and generating code together for diagrams with '''graphviz'''.

Manetta: /* Do tools shape practice? */

2025-10-02T18:26:03Z

Do tools shape practice?

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:26, 2 October 2025
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	== Do tools shape practice? ==		== Do tools shape practice? ==

	Over the years, it has become clear to us that it is not enough to merely strive for free, libre and open source software workflows without also paying attention to developing, for example, feminist and anti-colonial methods, or thinking about the relationship between technological infrastructure and climate justice (PrePostPrint @ LGM, 2024). If the decision to use FLOSS is not accompanied by developing non-extractive economic models and collective organisation, they are mere techno-solutionist practices. The FLOSS movement itself has also changed. Multiple critical voices emerged to fundamentally rethink the principles of open access, many new '''copyleft licenses''' circulate that break with the principles advocated by the <strong>Free Software Foundation</strong>, and the movement's charismatic foreman has finally fallen off his pedestal (de Blanc et al., 2021). Twenty years ago, to work with free software was motivated both against the commercial logic of closed proprietary layout software, and from a desire to bring the worlds of designers and software developers closer. The curiosity about a more intimate relationship with digital tools is still there, but twenty years on, the context is no longer the same.		Over the years, it has become clear to us that it is not enough to merely strive for '''free, libre and open source software workflows''' without also paying attention to developing, for example, '''feminist and anti-colonial methods''', or thinking about the relationship between technological infrastructure and '''climate justice''' (PrePostPrint @ LGM, 2024). If the decision to use FLOSS is not accompanied by developing '''non-extractive economic models''' and '''collective organisation''', they are mere '''techno-solutionist practices'''. The FLOSS movement itself has also changed. Multiple critical voices emerged to fundamentally rethink the principles of open access, many new '''copyleft licenses''' circulate that break with the principles advocated by the <strong>Free Software Foundation</strong>, and the movement's charismatic foreman has finally fallen off his pedestal (de Blanc et al., 2021). Twenty years ago, to work with free software was motivated both against the commercial logic of closed proprietary layout software, and from a desire to bring the worlds of designers and software developers closer. The curiosity about a more intimate relationship with digital tools is still there, but twenty years on, the context is no longer the same.

	First, there is the challenge these practices pose to design education. As we saw in <strong>Relearn</strong>, free software invites teaching in different ways. By introducing not only tools but also the culture and ideas around them, students are encouraged to think about how they want to shape their working environment, how they want to develop knowledge, their position and context. Within design education, it is therefore necessary to pay attention not only to WHAT students make or what statements they make, but also HOW they make that work, how they relate to others and from what underlying motivation or urgency those choices arise. As <strong>Silvio Lorusso</strong> explains in his essay ''Learn to Code vs. Code to Learn'', web design and creative coding are often the starting point to begin programming but that is not enough (Lorusso, 2022). Design education needs to provide students with starting points to build an infrastructure for their practice, technically, socially and administratively.		First, there is the challenge these practices pose to design education. As we saw in <strong>Relearn</strong>, free software invites teaching in different ways. By introducing not only tools but also the culture and ideas around them, students are encouraged to think about how they want to shape their working environment, how they want to develop knowledge, their position and context. Within design education, it is therefore necessary to pay attention not only to WHAT students make or what statements they make, but also HOW they make that work, how they relate to others and from what underlying motivation or urgency those choices arise. As <strong>Silvio Lorusso</strong> explains in his essay ''Learn to Code vs. Code to Learn'', web design and creative coding are often the starting point to begin programming but that is not enough (Lorusso, 2022). Design education needs to provide students with starting points to build an infrastructure for their practice, technically, socially and administratively.

Manetta: /* Do tools shape practice? */

2025-10-02T18:22:26Z

Do tools shape practice?

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:22, 2 October 2025
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	Over the years, it has become clear to us that it is not enough to merely strive for free, libre and open source software workflows without also paying attention to developing, for example, feminist and anti-colonial methods, or thinking about the relationship between technological infrastructure and climate justice (PrePostPrint @ LGM, 2024). If the decision to use FLOSS is not accompanied by developing non-extractive economic models and collective organisation, they are mere techno-solutionist practices. The FLOSS movement itself has also changed. Multiple critical voices emerged to fundamentally rethink the principles of open access, many new '''copyleft licenses''' circulate that break with the principles advocated by the <strong>Free Software Foundation</strong>, and the movement's charismatic foreman has finally fallen off his pedestal (de Blanc et al., 2021). Twenty years ago, to work with free software was motivated both against the commercial logic of closed proprietary layout software, and from a desire to bring the worlds of designers and software developers closer. The curiosity about a more intimate relationship with digital tools is still there, but twenty years on, the context is no longer the same.		Over the years, it has become clear to us that it is not enough to merely strive for free, libre and open source software workflows without also paying attention to developing, for example, feminist and anti-colonial methods, or thinking about the relationship between technological infrastructure and climate justice (PrePostPrint @ LGM, 2024). If the decision to use FLOSS is not accompanied by developing non-extractive economic models and collective organisation, they are mere techno-solutionist practices. The FLOSS movement itself has also changed. Multiple critical voices emerged to fundamentally rethink the principles of open access, many new '''copyleft licenses''' circulate that break with the principles advocated by the <strong>Free Software Foundation</strong>, and the movement's charismatic foreman has finally fallen off his pedestal (de Blanc et al., 2021). Twenty years ago, to work with free software was motivated both against the commercial logic of closed proprietary layout software, and from a desire to bring the worlds of designers and software developers closer. The curiosity about a more intimate relationship with digital tools is still there, but twenty years on, the context is no longer the same.

	First, there is the challenge these practices pose to design education. As we saw in <strong>Relearn</strong>, free software invites teaching in different ways. By introducing not only tools but also the culture and ideas around them, students are encouraged to think about how they want to shape their working environment, how they want to develop knowledge, their position and context. Within design education, it is therefore necessary to pay attention not only to WHAT students make or what statements they make, but also HOW they make that work, how they relate to others and from what underlying motivation or urgency those choices arise. As ~~'''~~Silvio Lorusso~~'''~~ explains in his essay ''Learn to Code vs. Code to Learn'', web design and creative coding are often the starting point to begin programming but that is not enough (Lorusso, 2022). Design education needs to provide students with starting points to build an infrastructure for their practice, technically, socially and administratively.		First, there is the challenge these practices pose to design education. As we saw in <strong>Relearn</strong>, free software invites teaching in different ways. By introducing not only tools but also the culture and ideas around them, students are encouraged to think about how they want to shape their working environment, how they want to develop knowledge, their position and context. Within design education, it is therefore necessary to pay attention not only to WHAT students make or what statements they make, but also HOW they make that work, how they relate to others and from what underlying motivation or urgency those choices arise. As <strong>Silvio Lorusso</strong> explains in his essay ''Learn to Code vs. Code to Learn'', web design and creative coding are often the starting point to begin programming but that is not enough (Lorusso, 2022). Design education needs to provide students with starting points to build an infrastructure for their practice, technically, socially and administratively.

	Even though free software offers a lot of room to redefine roles within an editorial process, it is still easier said than done to change established workflows. Practices and working methods are often deeply ingrained and feel taken for granted, and in result-oriented assignment situations, it remains a challenge to find the time to formulate what Free Software stands for, how this way of working requires a different attitude and to provide insight into the possibilities this offers. For example, tools are often still seen as merely for execution, while editorial environments such as '''Git repositories''' or '''Etherpads''' introduce new, collective ways of writing and collaborating. Perhaps hardest to face is the fact that Free Software tools are often developed by individuals, small core groups or umbrella organisations, where the availability of financial resources guides the degree of maintenance and chosen direction of development. We saw this in the example of <strong>LGM</strong>, in '''Chrome'''’s decision to retract CSS regions and in the choices of the <strong>Coko Foundation</strong>, the organisation that produces '''Paged.js''', that there is an issue of scale which means that the nuanced needs of designers cannot always survive under the pressure of larger interests. Free software design tools offer many starting points for developing collective working environments, finding new forms of expression and opportunities. The slogan '''tools shape practice shapes tools...''' here acts as the description of a practice, but also as a kind of magic spell. The circular phrasing evokes a world where free software tools act as a means and medium to move towards radically different graphic practices. It dreams of a world that reflects <span class="quote">«the iterative and reproductive relationship that links means and ends»</span> (Morandi, 2023, note 1), where tools are tailored to the needs of a specific practice, and the practice becomes part of the environment in which tools are shaped.		Even though free software offers a lot of room to redefine roles within an editorial process, it is still easier said than done to change established workflows. Practices and working methods are often deeply ingrained and feel taken for granted, and in result-oriented assignment situations, it remains a challenge to find the time to formulate what Free Software stands for, how this way of working requires a different attitude and to provide insight into the possibilities this offers. For example, tools are often still seen as merely for execution, while editorial environments such as '''Git repositories''' or '''Etherpads''' introduce new, collective ways of writing and collaborating. Perhaps hardest to face is the fact that Free Software tools are often developed by individuals, small core groups or umbrella organisations, where the availability of financial resources guides the degree of maintenance and chosen direction of development. We saw this in the example of <strong>LGM</strong>, in '''Chrome'''’s decision to retract CSS regions and in the choices of the <strong>Coko Foundation</strong>, the organisation that produces '''Paged.js''', that there is an issue of scale which means that the nuanced needs of designers cannot always survive under the pressure of larger interests. Free software design tools offer many starting points for developing collective working environments, finding new forms of expression and opportunities. The slogan '''tools shape practice shapes tools...''' here acts as the description of a practice, but also as a kind of magic spell. The circular phrasing evokes a world where free software tools act as a means and medium to move towards radically different graphic practices. It dreams of a world that reflects <span class="quote">«the iterative and reproductive relationship that links means and ends»</span> (Morandi, 2023, note 1), where tools are tailored to the needs of a specific practice, and the practice becomes part of the environment in which tools are shaped.

Manetta at 18:19, 2 October 2025

2025-10-02T18:19:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:19, 2 October 2025
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	== Layout tools ==		== Layout tools ==

	The many different tools in the ecosystem of libre graphics can be divided into two paradigms: 1. tools that approach layout from the idea of a canvas and 2. tools that generate a layout and thereby operate as an engine. These paradigms are not completely separate of course, but by articulating their differing assumptions, the distinct features, conceptual understanding and affordances of each individual tool becomes easier to recognise.		The many different tools in the ecosystem of libre graphics can be divided into two paradigms: 1. tools that approach layout from the idea of a '''canvas''' and 2. tools that generate a layout and thereby operate as an '''engine'''. These paradigms are not completely separate of course, but by articulating their differing assumptions, the distinct features, conceptual understanding and affordances of each individual tool becomes easier to recognise.

	=== Canvas ===		=== Canvas ===
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	Canvas tools are based on the idea of a predefined surface or virtual page on which text and image elements can be placed. Examples of canvas tools are '''Scribus''' and '''Inkscape''', but also, for example, '''laidout''', '''Gimp''' and '''Libre Calc''' (Image 2-4). These tools work on the basis of What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG), which means that changes made on the canvas can be observed or adapted directly on the screen, guided by visual placement. This makes canvas tools ideally suited for precisely placing individual elements and applying micro typographic detailing. Most proprietary design tools use the canvas approach and FLOSS canvas tools are thus considered to be more accessible because of the familiarity of their approach. This sometimes causes frustration because, as an ‘alternative to’, they do not appear to be different to daily design practice with proprietary tools and therefore have to live up to their commercial counterparts. We discuss two common examples, to give an idea of how FLOSS canvas tools operate.		Canvas tools are based on the idea of a predefined surface or virtual page on which text and image elements can be placed. Examples of canvas tools are '''Scribus''' and '''Inkscape''', but also, for example, '''laidout''', '''Gimp''' and '''Libre Calc''' (Image 2-4). These tools work on the basis of What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG), which means that changes made on the canvas can be observed or adapted directly on the screen, guided by visual placement. This makes canvas tools ideally suited for precisely placing individual elements and applying micro typographic detailing. Most proprietary design tools use the canvas approach and FLOSS canvas tools are thus considered to be more accessible because of the familiarity of their approach. This sometimes causes frustration because, as an ‘alternative to’, they do not appear to be different to daily design practice with proprietary tools and therefore have to live up to their commercial counterparts. We discuss two common examples, to give an idea of how FLOSS canvas tools operate.

	'''Scribus''' is a desktop publishing tool (DTP) with some capabilities to use code for generating layouts (Scribus, 2024). A first version of the software was published in 2001, and the particular attention paid to colour separations and professional PDF output was no accident. <strong>Louis Dujardins</strong>, inspirational promoter of the tool and also patron of the first Libre Graphics meetings, directs Mardigrafe inc, a printing press and graphics service company in Montreal. Since then, there have been many transformations, gradually balancing Scribus towards offering more comfort to typographers and designers. Scribus is still mainly developed by a small team that was involved in the project from the very beginning: <strong>Christoph Schäfer</strong>, <strong>Andreas Vox</strong>, <strong>Gregory Pittman</strong>, <strong>Craig Bradney</strong> and <strong>Jean Ghali</strong>.		'''Scribus''' is a desktop publishing tool (DTP) with some capabilities to use code for generating layouts (Scribus, 2024). A first version of the software was published in 2001, and the particular attention paid to colour separations and professional PDF output was no accident. <strong>Louis Dujardins</strong>, inspirational promoter of the tool and also patron of the first Libre Graphics meetings, directs <strong>Mardigrafe inc</strong>, a printing press and graphics service company in Montreal. Since then, there have been many transformations, gradually balancing Scribus towards offering more comfort to typographers and designers. Scribus is still mainly developed by a small team that was involved in the project from the very beginning: <strong>Christoph Schäfer</strong>, <strong>Andreas Vox</strong>, <strong>Gregory Pittman</strong>, <strong>Craig Bradney</strong> and <strong>Jean Ghali</strong>.


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	===Engines===		===Engines===

	FLOSS design workflows typically prefer layout tools that operate as engines. Examples include web browsers, '''Paged.js''', '''TeX variants''' or Python-based tools such as '''ReportLab'''. Layouts are generated by writing rules, declarations and markup, a workflow that relies on document structuring rather than on visual placement. Designers describe the outcome of the layout in code, run the engine and evaluate the outcome based on the result. Working with code adds a special flavour to this way of doing design, as the workflow becomes porous. Open ends arise because tools can be combined with each other and taken apart at any time. Text and images can be brought in from different sources, by downloading web pages, using Advanced Programming Interfaces (APIs) or collaborative editing environments such as '''Etherpad''' or a '''Wiki'''. Texts can be programmatically rewritten, re-structured or filtered to transform, for example, a page from Wikipedia into a theatre script (van der Hoek, 2008). We discuss two layout engines that play a major role within this field: TeX and web browsers (Image 9-11). Other examples of free software layout engines are '''Flat''', '''Shoebot''' and '''Weasyprint'''.		FLOSS design workflows typically prefer layout tools that operate as engines. Examples include web browsers, '''Paged.js''', '''TeX variants''' or Python-based tools such as '''ReportLab'''. Layouts are generated by writing rules, declarations and markup, a workflow that relies on document structuring rather than on visual placement. Designers describe the outcome of the layout in code, run the engine and evaluate the outcome based on the result. Working with code adds a special flavour to this way of doing design, as the workflow becomes porous. Open ends arise because tools can be combined with each other and taken apart at any time. Text and images can be brought in from different sources, by downloading web pages, using '''Advanced Programming Interfaces''' ('''APIs''') or collaborative editing environments such as '''Etherpad''' or a '''Wiki'''. Texts can be programmatically rewritten, re-structured or filtered to transform, for example, a page from '''Wikipedia''' into a theatre script (van der Hoek, 2008). We discuss two layout engines that play a major role within this field: '''TeX''' and '''web browsers''' (Image 9-11). Other examples of free software layout engines are '''Flat''', '''Shoebot''' and '''Weasyprint'''.

	TeX is a major presence and reference within the world of Free Software layout engines. A first version of TeX was published in 1978, and the project has since grown into a rich collection of tools and algorithms that can be used to compile text and images into a layout. TeX is known for its high-quality typographic output and micro-typographic detailing of hyphenation, spacing and composition, which at the time this engine appeared contrasted starkly with the output from then widely used proprietary canvas layout tools such as '''PageMaker''', '''QuarkXPress''' or '''Ventura'''. Since then, many variants of TeX have been developed and are widely used, especially to layout academic articles and publications. '''LaTeX''' and '''ConTeXt''' are most deployed in Free Software design practices.		'''TeX''' is a major presence and reference within the world of Free Software layout engines. A first version of TeX was published in 1978, and the project has since grown into a rich collection of tools and algorithms that can be used to compile text and images into a layout. TeX is known for its high-quality typographic output and micro-typographic detailing of hyphenation, spacing and composition, which at the time this engine appeared contrasted starkly with the output from then widely used proprietary canvas layout tools such as '''PageMaker''', '''QuarkXPress''' or '''Ventura'''. Since then, many variants of TeX have been developed and are widely used, especially to layout academic articles and publications. '''LaTeX''' and '''ConTeXt''' are most deployed in Free Software design practices.

	Programmer <strong>Donald Knuth</strong> developed the first version of TeX based on the belief that authors without typographical expertise should be able to generate high-quality layouts (Knuth, 1986). His approach meant to separate the roles of developer and designer, a split which is still felt in the way the inner workings of TeX based software is impenetrable for many.		Programmer <strong>Donald Knuth</strong> developed the first version of TeX based on the belief that authors without typographical expertise should be able to generate high-quality layouts (Knuth, 1986). His approach meant to separate the roles of developer and designer, a split which is still felt in the way the inner workings of TeX based software is impenetrable for many.
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	Web browsers have played an important role within Free Software design practices from the outset. '''Web-to-print''', also referred to as '''html2print''', '''CSSPrint''', '''web-to-pdf''', '''web2print''', '''w2p''' or '''hybrid publishing''' uses technologies developed for the web, to produce graphic work. The combination of web aesthetics, the multitude of editorial web environments and the accessibility of '''HTML''' and '''CSS''' as code languages makes web-to-print an attractive environment for layout creation (Image 12-14). '''Browsers''' play a crucial role both as a preview and inspection tool, but also as platforms for distribution. Several libraries have been developed to develop more complex layouts such as '''Paged.js''', a javascript library for creating paged media. In addition, designers can use command-line tools such as '''Pandoc''' to convert HTML files to and from other file types, enabling a whole range of new setups. Programming languages can be used to generate HTML pages, making it possible to work with databases, or unleash algorithmic processes on text or images. <strong>OSP</strong> has been working since 2015 on '''html2print''', a boilerplate and web interface for print projects, adding many features to web browsers as layout engine (OSP, 2021a). In 2016, <strong>Sarah Garcin</strong> develops the '''PJ Machine''', a physical publishing interface based on HTML, CSS and Javascript (Garcin, 2019). Within <strong>Varia</strong>, '''octomode''' emerges, a collective work environment for creating publications based on '''HTML''', '''CSS''', '''Markdown''', '''Etherpad''', '''Pandoc''' and '''Paged.js''' (Varia and creative crowds, 2023). <strong>Hackers and Designers</strong> develop a first version of '''chatty-pub''' in 2021, a design tool built around the team chat software '''Zulip''', in which style rules can be stored and deployed in the form of emojis (Hackers and Designers, 2023a).		'''Web browsers''' have played an important role within Free Software design practices from the outset. '''Web-to-print''', also referred to as '''html2print''', '''CSSPrint''', '''web-to-pdf''', '''web2print''', '''w2p''' or '''hybrid publishing''' uses technologies developed for the web, to produce graphic work. The combination of web aesthetics, the multitude of editorial web environments and the accessibility of '''HTML''' and '''CSS''' as code languages makes web-to-print an attractive environment for layout creation (Image 12-14). '''Browsers''' play a crucial role both as a preview and inspection tool, but also as platforms for distribution. Several libraries have been developed to develop more complex layouts such as '''Paged.js''', a javascript library for creating paged media. In addition, designers can use command-line tools such as '''Pandoc''' to convert HTML files to and from other file types, enabling a whole range of new setups. Programming languages can be used to generate HTML pages, making it possible to work with databases, or unleash algorithmic processes on text or images. <strong>OSP</strong> has been working since 2015 on '''html2print''', a boilerplate and web interface for print projects, adding many features to web browsers as layout engine (OSP, 2021a). In 2016, <strong>Sarah Garcin</strong> develops the '''PJ Machine''', a physical publishing interface based on HTML, CSS and Javascript (Garcin, 2019). Within <strong>Varia</strong>, '''octomode''' emerges, a collective work environment for creating publications based on '''HTML''', '''CSS''', '''Markdown''', '''Etherpad''', '''Pandoc''' and '''Paged.js''' (Varia and creative crowds, 2023). <strong>Hackers and Designers</strong> develop a first version of '''chatty-pub''' in 2021, a design tool built around the team chat software '''Zulip''', in which style rules can be stored and deployed in the form of emojis (Hackers and Designers, 2023a).

	Web standards are central to all these examples, with '''HTML''', '''CSS''' and '''Javascript''' playing an important role. These standards are formulated and developed by the <strong>W3C web consortium</strong> as shared conventions that operate on a large scale. They ensure stability and consistency of web features, such as displaying video or fonts. '''Browsers''' each implement these standards at their own pace and in their own way and may possibly add experimental features of not (yet) recommended by the W3C, in order to encourage use of a specific web technology. '''CSS regions''' for example, are an experimental feature implemented in Google Chrome browsers and used by <strong>OSP</strong> since 2015 to layout the magazine '''Médor'''. But as an experimental feature, CSS regions quickly disappeared from the subsequent version of the browser, creating a complex situation for OSP. The group eventually found a solution in '''ospkit''', a self-maintained variant of a minimal browser that still supports CSS Regions (OSP, 2019). Another example emerged around '''Paged.js'''. The library is developed by <strong>Coko</strong>, a company relying on commissions and funding from the North American academic publishing world. This means that their interests determine where developer attention goes (Publishing Partyline: Narrowcast Paged.Js, 2022). The Coko Foundation tries to involve designers in developing Paged.js by making them part of the developer team, and also by participating in a '''W3C workshop for CSS Print''' (Julie Blanc, 2020). However, the scale at which Paged.js operates does not leave much room for manoeuvre and graphic designers struggle to grasp the technological whirlwind of web standards and Big Tech interests. Web engines offer many exciting opportunities to invent alternative workflow, but also show the fragility and tensions of scale that arise in the unpredictable environment of the web.		Web standards are central to all these examples, with '''HTML''', '''CSS''' and '''Javascript''' playing an important role. These standards are formulated and developed by the <strong>W3C web consortium</strong> as shared conventions that operate on a large scale. They ensure stability and consistency of web features, such as displaying video or fonts. '''Browsers''' each implement these standards at their own pace and in their own way and may possibly add experimental features of not (yet) recommended by the W3C, in order to encourage use of a specific web technology. '''CSS regions''' for example, are an experimental feature implemented in Google Chrome browsers and used by <strong>OSP</strong> since 2015 to layout the magazine '''Médor'''. But as an experimental feature, CSS regions quickly disappeared from the subsequent version of the browser, creating a complex situation for OSP. The group eventually found a solution in '''ospkit''', a self-maintained variant of a minimal browser that still supports CSS Regions (OSP, 2019). Another example emerged around '''Paged.js'''. The library is developed by <strong>Coko</strong>, a company relying on commissions and funding from the North American academic publishing world. This means that their interests determine where developer attention goes (Publishing Partyline: Narrowcast Paged.Js, 2022). The Coko Foundation tries to involve designers in developing Paged.js by making them part of the developer team, and also by participating in a '''W3C workshop for CSS Print''' (Julie Blanc, 2020). However, the scale at which Paged.js operates does not leave much room for manoeuvre and graphic designers struggle to grasp the technological whirlwind of web standards and Big Tech interests. Web engines offer many exciting opportunities to invent alternative workflow, but also show the fragility and tensions of scale that arise in the unpredictable environment of the web.

Manetta at 18:14, 2 October 2025

2025-10-02T18:14:40Z

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	'''InDesign''', '''Illustrator''' and '''Photoshop''' are ubiquitous in most graphic design practices. They are made by a single US-based software company, <strong>Adobe inc.</strong> Since the introduction of '''Adobe Creative Cloud''' in 2012, users have to subscribe to rented software, also known as software as a service. An always automatically updated software environment that is essentially the same for everyone and that can only be superficially modified, leaves little room to experiment with how software and practice mutually influence each other. It also means that files created in this environment can only be opened and reused as long as the license has been paid for, and thus designs created in '''Adobe's Creative Cloud''' are de facto property of <strong>Adobe</strong>.		'''InDesign''', '''Illustrator''' and '''Photoshop''' are ubiquitous in most graphic design practices. They are made by a single US-based software company, <strong>Adobe inc.</strong> Since the introduction of '''Adobe Creative Cloud''' in 2012, users have to subscribe to rented software, also known as software as a service. An always automatically updated software environment that is essentially the same for everyone and that can only be superficially modified, leaves little room to experiment with how software and practice mutually influence each other. It also means that files created in this environment can only be opened and reused as long as the license has been paid for, and thus designs created in '''Adobe's Creative Cloud''' are de facto property of <strong>Adobe</strong>.

	By choosing open standards and explicitly allowing users to study, modify and distribute source code, Free Software makes a reverse move (Free Software Foundation, 2024). Files can be opened in different programmes, allowing users to deploy tools interchangeably and alongside each other. Free software is made by a constellation of people, teams, organisations and companies, each operating in their own environment, on a specific scale and as part of a particular culture. A choice for a particular tool is therefore also a choice for a different way of working, technically, as well as economically, creatively, pedagogically, and socially.		By choosing open standards and explicitly allowing users to study, modify and distribute source code, '''Free Software''' makes a reverse move (Free Software Foundation, 2024). Files can be opened in different programmes, allowing users to deploy tools interchangeably and alongside each other. Free software is made by a constellation of people, teams, organisations and companies, each operating in their own environment, on a specific scale and as part of a particular culture. A choice for a particular tool is therefore also a choice for a different way of working, technically, as well as economically, creatively, pedagogically, and socially.

	For designers, it is challenging to get a grip on the many specific features and capabilities of those new tools. Using free software professionally requires a greater degree of technical knowledge such as installing and modifying programmes using the command line or working with versioning tools such as git. Economically, designers are no longer software consumers, but users, researchers or sometimes co-developers. On a creative level, this opens up space to develop a technical understanding that can be a starting point for new concepts and aesthetics. Pedagogically, FLOSS asks designers to delve into internal workings and histories and to (mis)use tools for unexpected purposes. Socially, it triggers exchanges between people with different expertise, for documentation and research.		For designers, it is challenging to get a grip on the many specific features and capabilities of those new tools. Using free software professionally requires a greater degree of technical knowledge such as installing and modifying programmes using the command line or working with versioning tools such as git. Economically, designers are no longer software consumers, but users, researchers or sometimes co-developers. On a creative level, this opens up space to develop a technical understanding that can be a starting point for new concepts and aesthetics. Pedagogically, FLOSS asks designers to delve into internal workings and histories and to (mis)use tools for unexpected purposes. Socially, it triggers exchanges between people with different expertise, for documentation and research.

	The choice to work with FLOSS tools impacts all aspects of design practice. <strong>Adobe’s</strong> constrained and predetermined working environment transforms into one of myriad possibilities and open ends. FLOSS on the other hand is an invitation to rethink standardised workflows, reflecting on the relationship between aesthetics, technology and production. As we elaborate in the following sections, this relationship becomes palpable in the way books, posters, websites and other graphic objects are designed. Tools claim a place in the outcomes of these processes, if only discreetly by simply being included in the colophon, sometimes more explicitly in the form of a 'making of' in which designers reflect on the process of bringing tools and shapes together.		The choice to work with '''FLOSS tools''' impacts all aspects of design practice. <strong>Adobe’s</strong> constrained and predetermined working environment transforms into one of myriad possibilities and open ends. FLOSS on the other hand is an invitation to rethink standardised workflows, reflecting on the relationship between aesthetics, technology and production. As we elaborate in the following sections, this relationship becomes palpable in the way books, posters, websites and other graphic objects are designed. Tools claim a place in the outcomes of these processes, if only discreetly by simply being included in the colophon, sometimes more explicitly in the form of a 'making of' in which designers reflect on the process of bringing tools and shapes together.

	Bespoke workflows also require a different relationship with clients, who in turn become part of the design process and as we elaborate in section 6, the fusion of web technology with design tools contributes to that shift. But it is not always possible or easy to opt for such a practice. Free software tools as yet have little or no place in art education nor in professional design courses, leaving designers to their own devices to learn. It is challenging to find time and space to engage with them, especially at a time of high cost of living. Moreover, free software culture is still overwhelmingly defined by White, cisgender male perspectives from North America, making it non-trivial to ask for help or to feel confident to contribute for anyone outside that norm. With the emergence of local user groups such as PrePostPrint and a steadily growing interest in free software at art schools, this situation is fortunately slowly starting to change.		Bespoke workflows also require a different relationship with clients, who in turn become part of the design process and as we elaborate in section 6, the fusion of web technology with design tools contributes to that shift. But it is not always possible or easy to opt for such a practice. Free software tools as yet have little or no place in art education nor in professional design courses, leaving designers to their own devices to learn. It is challenging to find time and space to engage with them, especially at a time of high cost of living. Moreover, free software culture is still overwhelmingly defined by <strong>White, cisgender male perspectives from North America</strong>, making it non-trivial to ask for help or to feel confident to contribute for anyone outside that norm. With the emergence of local user groups such as <strong>PrePostPrint</strong> and a steadily growing interest in '''free software''' at '''art schools''', this situation is fortunately slowly starting to change.

	</div>		</div>

Manetta at 18:09, 2 October 2025

2025-10-02T18:09:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:09, 2 October 2025
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	While new approaches to design tools start to flourish and spread, questions begin to arise how to teach design in a way that accommodates the specific interaction between free software tools and design practices, and that recognizes how such tools transform hierarchical relationships between students and teachers. This sparks the organisation of <strong>Relearn</strong>, a series of summer schools that bring together developers, researchers and students with different levels of expertise. On the website of the 3rd edition we read, <span class="quote">«Relearn explores convivial, experimental and divergent methods and tools in design, computing and education, challenging the normal roles and divisions (teacher/student, developer/user, art/life…)»</span> (Relearn, 2015, para. 3). Relearn would be de-centrally organised and hosted in various places in Europe until 2021.		While new approaches to design tools start to flourish and spread, questions begin to arise how to teach design in a way that accommodates the specific interaction between free software tools and design practices, and that recognizes how such tools transform hierarchical relationships between students and teachers. This sparks the organisation of <strong>Relearn</strong>, a series of summer schools that bring together developers, researchers and students with different levels of expertise. On the website of the 3rd edition we read, <span class="quote">«Relearn explores convivial, experimental and divergent methods and tools in design, computing and education, challenging the normal roles and divisions (teacher/student, developer/user, art/life…)»</span> (Relearn, 2015, para. 3). Relearn would be de-centrally organised and hosted in various places in Europe until 2021.

	OSP’s work on '''html2print''' generates interest among design students in France and Belgium. Designers, clients and publishers are increasingly interested in these experimental workflows and writing environments, including graphic designers <strong>Raphael Bastide</strong> and <strong>Sarah Garcin</strong> who found <strong>PrePostPrint</strong> in 2017 (PrePostPrint, 2024). Calling themselves a 'community of practice', they launch the initiative with a well-attended meeting in Paris (Raphaël Bastide and Quentin Juhel, 2024). The energy is mainly techno-aesthetic and their relationship with Free Software pragmatic. <strong>Quentin Juhel</strong>, <strong>Julien Bidoret</strong>, <strong>Julie Blanc</strong>, <strong>Lucile Haute</strong> and <strong>Julien Taquet</strong> join and PrePostPrint grows into a strong French-speaking network that is regularly invited to give workshops at art schools across France.		OSP’s work on '''html2print''' generates interest among design students in France and Belgium. Designers, clients and publishers are increasingly interested in these experimental workflows and writing environments, including graphic designers <strong>Raphael Bastide</strong> and <strong>Sarah Garcin</strong> who found <strong>PrePostPrint</strong> in 2017 (PrePostPrint, 2024). Calling themselves a '''community of practice''', they launch the initiative with a well-attended meeting in Paris (Raphaël Bastide and Quentin Juhel, 2024). The energy is mainly techno-aesthetic and their relationship with Free Software pragmatic. <strong>Quentin Juhel</strong>, <strong>Julien Bidoret</strong>, <strong>Julie Blanc</strong>, <strong>Lucile Haute</strong> and <strong>Julien Taquet</strong> join and PrePostPrint grows into a strong French-speaking network that is regularly invited to give workshops at art schools across France.

	An important node in the network-of-networks is <strong>Varia</strong>, a “collective space for everyday technology” is found in Rotterdam by a group of former XPUB students in the same year (Varia, 2024). For Varia the making of publications is part of its practice, and their intersecting interest in collective work, feminist servers and custom tools leads to new ways of working and distinct aesthetics. In 2019, <strong>Hackers and Designers</strong> emerges in Amsterdam, playfully interrogating the role of code in graphic design practices (Hackers and Designers, 2024). In a range of other places, enthusiasm for FLOSS design practices grows, resulting in interconnected publishing initiatives such as <strong>Greyscale Press</strong>, <strong>Freeze+Press</strong> (Haag), book sprints and ideas around ''''single source publishing'''' (Hyde). Some of the experimentations are ported to academic environments such as the <strong>Hybrid Publishing Lab</strong> at Leuphana University in Lüneburg and the <strong>Hybrid Publishing Consortium</strong> (Worthington). The research project <strong>Hybrid Publishing Toolkit for the Arts</strong>, led by the Amsterdam based <strong>Institute for Network Cultures</strong>, collaborates with <strong>Creating 010</strong> at the <strong>Willem de Kooning Academy</strong> in Rotterdam, and continues as a course and publishing project until today. <strong>Servus</strong> organises a '''Des*gn Week''' in Linz, and ex-XPUB <strong>Alex Roidl</strong> contributes to the '''Hybrid Publishing Systems curriculum'''. The '''Experimental Publishing Compendium''' is launched as part of the '''COPIM''' project, and an axis emerges between Canada and France around '''Inachevé d'imprimer'''. Recently in the UK context, a new initiative brings together an interest in feminist servers with FLOSS publishing. <strong>Servpub</strong> puts into practice the term 'computational publishing' that we learned from <strong>Winnie Soon</strong>.		An important node in the network-of-networks is <strong>Varia</strong>, a “collective space for everyday technology” is found in Rotterdam by a group of former XPUB students in the same year (Varia, 2024). For Varia the making of publications is part of its practice, and their intersecting interest in collective work, feminist servers and custom tools leads to new ways of working and distinct aesthetics. In 2019, <strong>Hackers and Designers</strong> emerges in Amsterdam, playfully interrogating the role of code in graphic design practices (Hackers and Designers, 2024). In a range of other places, enthusiasm for FLOSS design practices grows, resulting in interconnected publishing initiatives such as <strong>Greyscale Press</strong>, <strong>Freeze+Press</strong> (Haag), book sprints and ideas around ''''single source publishing'''' (Hyde). Some of the experimentations are ported to academic environments such as the <strong>Hybrid Publishing Lab</strong> at Leuphana University in Lüneburg and the <strong>Hybrid Publishing Consortium</strong> (Worthington). The research project <strong>Hybrid Publishing Toolkit for the Arts</strong>, led by the Amsterdam based <strong>Institute for Network Cultures</strong>, collaborates with <strong>Creating 010</strong> at the <strong>Willem de Kooning Academy</strong> in Rotterdam, and continues as a course and publishing project until today. <strong>Servus</strong> organises a '''Des*gn Week''' in Linz, and ex-XPUB <strong>Alex Roidl</strong> contributes to the '''Hybrid Publishing Systems curriculum'''. The '''Experimental Publishing Compendium''' is launched as part of the '''COPIM''' project, and an axis emerges between Canada and France around '''Inachevé d'imprimer'''. Recently in the UK context, a new initiative brings together an interest in feminist servers with FLOSS publishing. <strong>Servpub</strong> puts into practice the term 'computational publishing' that we learned from <strong>Winnie Soon</strong>.

Manetta at 18:05, 2 October 2025

2025-10-02T18:05:16Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:31, 16 January 2026
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	[[File:Content-form-newspapers-stack-1.jpeg\|400px\|center\|thumb\|Image 22. Content/Form, designed by Simon Browne and Manetta Berends with Servpub. Source: cc.~~vvvvvvaria~~.~~org~~ (Berends and Browne, 2024)]]		[[File:Content-form-newspapers-stack-1.jpeg\|400px\|center\|thumb\|Image 22. Content/Form, designed by Simon Browne and Manetta Berends with Servpub. Source: cc.practices.tools (Berends and Browne, 2024)]]

	=== Etherpad ===		=== Etherpad ===
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	''From webkit to OSPKit: An alternate reality to keep working with CSS Regions''. [http://blog.osp.kitchen/residency/from-webkit-to-ospkit.html ''http://blog.osp.kitchen/residency/from-webkit-to-ospkit.html'']		''From webkit to OSPKit: An alternate reality to keep working with CSS Regions''. [http://blog.osp.kitchen/residency/from-webkit-to-ospkit.html ''http://blog.osp.kitchen/residency/from-webkit-to-ospkit.html'']

	Berends, Manetta and Browne, Simon (2024, February 9). ''Content-form''. Creative Crowds. [https://cc.~~vvvvvvaria~~.~~org~~/wiki/Content-Form ''https://cc.~~vvvvvvaria~~.~~org~~/wiki/Content-Form'']		Berends, Manetta and Browne, Simon (2024, February 9). ''Content-form''. Creative Crowds. [https://cc.practices.tools/wiki/Content-Form ''https://cc.practices.tools/wiki/Content-Form'']

	Blanc, Julie (2020, February 18). ''Return from Prague: The future of web to print''. [https://julie-blanc.fr/en/blog/2020-02-18_return-from-prague/ ''https://julie-blanc.fr/en/blog/2020-02-18_return-from-prague/'']		Blanc, Julie (2020, February 18). ''Return from Prague: The future of web to print''. [https://julie-blanc.fr/en/blog/2020-02-18_return-from-prague/ ''https://julie-blanc.fr/en/blog/2020-02-18_return-from-prague/'']
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	Blanc, Julie (2023). ''Composer avec les technologies du web. Genèses instrumentales collectives pour le développement d’une communauté de pratique de designers graphiques'' [Université Paris 8].		Blanc, Julie (2023). ''Composer avec les technologies du web. Genèses instrumentales collectives pour le développement d’une communauté de pratique de designers graphiques'' [Université Paris 8].

	Browne, Simon and Berends, Manetta (2024, March 8). ''Wiki-to-print''. Creative Crowds. [https://cc.~~vvvvvvaria~~.~~org~~/wiki/Wiki-to-print ''https://cc.~~vvvvvvaria~~.~~org~~/wiki/Wiki-to-print'']		Browne, Simon and Berends, Manetta (2024, March 8). ''Wiki-to-print''. Creative Crowds. [https://cc.practices.tools/wiki/Wiki-to-print ''https://cc.practices.tools/wiki/Wiki-to-print'']

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