Revenge of the Nerds: Necktie Edition. June 7, 2015 13:49

We haven't ventured into custom-printed pocket protectors yet, but we definitely have you covered for all your geek-chic neckwear needs with our Circuit Board neckties, bow ties, pocket squares and ascots!


Short Circuit, circuit board necktie. $30-$45. Coordinating Circuit Board Bow Tie $40 and Circuit Board pocket square $21.

If there was ever any doubt that nerds rule, you can put that to rest.  They definitely do - it's 2015 and we all have super computers in our pockets...you can thank a nerd for that. Even though we should be solving all the worlds most-pressing calculus problems, we're still using that power to post cat videos...but that's alright, cats rule too.  Today we celebrate geekdom and all its finest fashion! Our Circuit Board neckties are not just a product of good imagination and Photoshop - they're made from real relics of the electronics industry. Our screenprints are made from the silkscreens that were used in the making of actual old circuit boards. The process used to make printed circuit boards used be very similar to screenprinting just about anything, printing a circuit board was much like printing a necktie. 


Cache of old Silkscreens Inform Designs of Cyberoptix TieLab, via Make Magazine.

In June of 2011, we took delivery of a literal truckload of vintage screens that we thought we were simply going to reclaim to make new ones. Usually they're festooned with the remains of custom T-shirt graphics, including the less-than-engaging likes of "Uncle Larry's 40th Birthday" or "Herbert's Down Home Family Reunion, YEEHAW!" This time, when the light caught them, all these glorious, old circuit board and electronics schematics appeared. Obviously, wiping out these treasures was not going to happen, and after pacing, staring, agonizing over the fact that circuit boards designs have definitely been put on garments already, we just couldn't resist the serendipity any longer, considering our fascination with electronics history.

So, we decided to find the best aesthetically pleasing portions of those screens, get the line-up perfect, and produce as many as possible on as many ties as they could print. When fabricating actual circuit boards, silkscreens are used to print etch-resistant inks on to the board to protect the copper foil. Subsequent etching removes the unwanted copper and one is left with the desired copper pattern for conductivity. Destined for the landfill, we feel very lucky indeed to be able to bring these remnants of electronics history to you.

When you're the first to be decked out with one of these at your hacker space, local convention or board meeting, (be proud) and let your friends know. The language of old circuits should never die!