To begin the work it was necessary to peg out the overall territory the subject matter sits within. This includes the history and contemporary place of print as it applies to industry and culture; and, because the research stems from a fine arts institution, establish its place and linkages to art and design practice (and vice versa). We have a working document to this effect outlining the history of print culture as it relates to society and to the sub-category of art and design. It is intended as a set of notes to help establish positions, rather than an endeavour to interpret, evaluate or appraise the information – although it may be of assistance in the future in such cases. It is an attempt to condense and sequence some of the information of this formidable topic for the purposes of providing a context for a rudimentary exploration of local histories at an intersection with print culture in New Zealand.

Paper Does Not Refuse Ink aims to archive local histories and the power of print. Exposing new knowledge through a critical approach to the history of print in New Zealand assessing methodologies around concept, materiality, dispersion and collection of print allows for informed decisions of how histories can be re-employed in a contemporary context. Although this archive has been created with a specific research objective in mind, it is not limiting of content and encourages parallel thought and discussion surrounding "Print".