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Designer Crafts Stunning Mars Poster By Carefully Rusting a Sheet of Metal

metal printing diy

Designer Barry Abrams of PLY Press has taken his work to a new level with this beautiful piece of planetary wall art. Using real rust on metal, he's generated a striking image of Mars. And generously, he's even given step by step instructions on how to create your own version of the Red Planet poster.

All you need is a little knowledge of screen printing and it's quite easy to replicate the metal printing. Don't have time to make your own? Unfortunately a pre-order for the metal posters has already sold out, but the designer plans on releasing more—and maybe even other planets—in the future. Stay tuned to his website and Instagram to see when new work is available. And if you want to try your hand at creating your own Mars poster, check out Abrams' process below.

To start the metal poster, cut a square piece of sheet metal and clean it with Muriatic acid to take off any existing rust.

metal printing diy

Then cut a circular mask out of vinyl adhesive and apply it to the sheet metal.

metal printing diy

metal printing diy

To create rust on the metal, fill an empty spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide and apply to the open circle on the sheet metal.

metal printing diy

Let it bubble for a few minutes and take off the excess moisture by dabbing the surface with a paper towel.

metal printing diy

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Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Staff Editor and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book "Street Art Stories Roma" and most recently contributed to "Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini." You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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