You've heard of black light posters, holographic images, silk screened prints, but what if you could combine all three? Traditional printing techniques are taken to a new level with electroluminescent and electrochromic inks. Artist and Assistant Professor Fine Arts at University of Pennsylvania, Orkan Telhan, has been using these inks alongside silk screening and letterpress printing to create trippy, morphing designs. The inks respond to electric current with electroluminescent responding by emitting light and electrochromic responding by changing transparency.

Applied onto clear plastic sheets, the ink acts as a conductor when connected to a battery. Designs and art effects can be controlled with a micro controller, turn on and off to different kinds of sensor inputs, react to information via the internet, or even detect someone’s presence. The possibilities are quite limitless.  

With their versatile nature and dazzling effects, these inks could be big news for future art, fashion, and commercial endeavors.