Jacob Brook
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Architecture Case Study

Image Quantization & Multi-Block Linocut Tooling Engine

Python & OpenCV/Scikit-Learn algorithmic engine translating continuous tone artwork into physical reduction linocut ink passes, mother-color palettes, and carving guides.

Python OpenCV Scikit-Learn Tkinter Canvas2D TypeScript React

System Overview

An end-to-end computational printmaking engine built in Python and interactive browser JS. Translates continuous-tone imagery into discrete K-Means ink swatches, applies asymmetric edge-preserving box blurs for carving gougeability, blends mother-color undertones for ink harmony, calculates luminance-based carving scripts, and simulates brayer split-fount rolls.

🔮 Serendipitous Printmaking Discovery: False CIELAB

The Happy Accident Behind "View From A Distance"

Sometimes in computational printmaking, a software bug yields an unexpected masterpiece. While developing main.py, a byte-mapping bug falsely interpreted raw sRGB pixel arrays directly as CIELAB [L*, a*, b*] coordinates before running K-Means clustering and converting back to RGB space. Rather than corrupting the image, this happy accident generated the surreal, hyper-vibrant ink palette used in the physical reduction edition View From A Distance.

👉 Select 🔮 Serendipitous False CIELAB ("View From A Distance") in the studio toolbar below to experiment with this exact color palette transformation live!

Interactive Browser Quantization Studio

Upload custom image artwork or test sample presets to experiment with palette reduction, directional carving blurs, mother-color undertones, step-by-step reduction layer accumulation, and automated carving guides.

Interactive Reduction Linocut Studio

Quantization & Cumulative Transfer Engine

6 Inks
0px
10%
Pass 6 of 6
Continuous Tone Input
Reduction Layer Output (Pass 1–6)
Studio Applications

Physical Prints Preprocessed with Image Quantization

Explore physical reduction linocut editions pressed in the studio using palette layers and carving scripts calculated by this computational engine.

Source Code & Repository

Inspect repository commits and architecture breakdowns.