ARTOMATIC history

ARTOMATIC started out as a screen-printers in James Ellery’s kitchen in Putney in 1982. He and Tim Milne wanted to offer designers a more fruitful / less frustrating printing experience. Malcolm Garrett coined the name from a series of paintings by British pop artist Peter Philips.

As a commercial printer, ARTOMATIC offered designers the rare opportunity to collaborate and actively encouraged a stronger emphasis on materials and texture, rather than the traditional colour reproduction prevalent at the time. This tactile language has since moved into the mainstream and can be seen on any supermarket shelf today.

In 1999, ARTOMATIC+ opened, a Print Library, gallery, meeting space and a seminal, graphic-objects store that offered a outlet for the bourgeoning street artists and paved the way for the likes of Playlounge and Magma in London.

ARTOMATIC closed in 2003, while Tim focussed on developing Matterbox and James continued to make beautiful window displays for the likes Accesorize through his Wonderprint operation.

ARTOMATIC returns to London to pick up where it left off with a new vision for the future of physical communications...and a lot of experience of how to produce them.