Inside Out / Outside In by Alicja Habisiak-Matczak
Inside Out / Outside In – laser etchings on plexi by Alicja Habisiak-Matczak
Inside Out – Outside focuses on architecture perceived simultaneously from the inside and the outside, presented through subjective, often distorted perspectives. Drawing is the foundation of my process: photographic documentation is transformed into charcoal sketches, which then evolve into print compositions.
MATERIAL: clear acrylic 2mm
CUT/ENGRAVED: engraved and cut
CUTTING/ENGRAVING TIME: about 30 minutes
FILE PREPARATION: Laser was used to create intaglio matrices in plexiglass, later printed manually on intaglio press on Hahnemule Coppperplate 300g paper or Coventry Rag 300 g. In each work the starting point was a charcoal drawing depicting architectural space. It was
scanned in high resolution (from 600 dpi to 1200) and then elaborated in Photoshop: converted to grayscale, curves 75 % (the whole image needed to be rendered lighter as it appeared too dark on the final print unless these adjustment were made); Levels – midtones set to 0,61 – for the same reason – to maintain a full scale of greys on the final print; the resolution was set to 250 dpi.
The file was that opened in Corel Paint. I needed to check again the size and resolution and adjust if they appeared altered. After pressing “print”, next settings were applied in the Trotec Software.
SETTINGS USED:
Trotec software settings:
choice of material – plastics acrylics 2mm;
halftone: stucki
Cut line: rectangular
Flip horizontal (to obtain mirror reflected image for the matrix)
Process mode: standard
Material Template settings:
V 100
P 100
1 pass
Cut once
My first encounter with Professor Marilène Oliver’s research took place in 2019 during a visit to the University of Alberta in Edmonton. At that time, two matrices based on my drawings were produced: a laser-etched plexiglass plate and a woodcut. The results were striking—the direct translation of my drawings into printable matrices, which I could later use in Łódź, revealed the transformative potential of this technology. This experience motivated me to further develop this process.
In 2023, this became possible through a research residency supported by the Wirth Institute for Austrian and Eastern European Studies. During my stay, I engaged with the work of Professor Oliver, my Distinguished Colleagues at the University of Alberta, and students, while conducting my own experiments with laser-etched matrices and print-based objects. The outcomes were presented at the University of Alberta in June 2023 (Inside Out / Outside In, FAB Building) and in November 2023 (Built to Last, FAB Gallery, with Alex R. Thompson), and later exhibited in Łódź, Warsaw, and at the Museum of the Americas in Puerto Rico during the SGCI 2025 Puertograbando conference.
Drawing is the foundation of my artistic practice. My intaglio and relief prints originate from charcoal or ink drawings, which serve as the basis for matrix development. The process involves manual drawing, scanning, digital processing, preparing files for laser cutting, and extensive parameter testing in order to faithfully reproduce the richness of textures and tonal gradations of the original image. The laser-etched matrices are printed manually using Charbonnel inks on Coventry Rag 300 gsm paper on an etching press. In this way, the technique combines elements of traditional printmaking practice with advanced contemporary technology.
The laser cutter offers exceptional precision in translating the textures, tonal transitions, and lines characteristic of spontaneous drawing.
In plexiglass intaglio, I was especially struck by how faithfully charcoal drawings can be translated into ready-to-print acrylic matrices, preserving both nuance and immediacy of the original mark. The painterly effects achieved in translating ink wash drawings into intaglio prints also appear to be unique, offering a distinct visual quality that bridges drawing and printmaking.