What started in the work shop of a Danish toymaker, Ole Kirk Christiansen, has now evolved into a simple and beloved toy regardless of age and location. It's hard to imagine that the little plastic brick came about through making wooden toys but that was how it began. The company was named after a Danish phrase, leg godt, which translated to play well.
The first official plastic brick was made in 1949 by Lego and when Christiansen's company was passed down to his son Godfred, the lego brick with interlocking studs that you recognise today was patented. The simple toy bricks' popularity soon spread throughout Europe and in 1969, bigger brick were introduced for younger kids who struggled to play with regular sized legos.
Most would then inevitably remember playing with Lego bricks as a part of their childhood and to this day, this still holds true.
In the 70s, Lego would go on to produce the signature smiling minifigures that you know and love and became common part of Lego play sets. As the company and technology evolved more customisation took place and a whole new world of creation and imagination was born. Lego has remained iconic and a part of our culture with many lego sets breaking world records and astounding the kids of today.
These days, you can find a customised lego minifigures for every show, movie, comic book character that you love and the lego brick isn't just limited to children anymore. With the rise of the internet, Adult Fans of Legos (AFOLs) can connect through online groups or social media to share their love of lego. Whether someone is a collector of themed minifigures or a builder of fantastical lego sets, they'll be able to reach across to globe to find someone with tips to help their craft or simply a friend who understands their passion for these unassuming brick toys.
To this day, Christiansen's decendants remain as the head of the company. Just like a wooden toy shop passed from father to son, from generation to generation, many adults remember fondly their time in their youth playing with lego and are now passing that joy down to their children.
(Image via Unsplash)
Some of you have been asking, so we’re finally going to talk about printing for customised lego minifigures!
There are mainly two kinds of printing for lego minifigures: pad printing or UV printing. (There are also hand painted minifigures but the name explains the process pretty well so we don’t need to go into that.) You’ve probably seen these two terms appearing in the details of the products on the Loot A Brick website. So, maybe you’ve been wondering what’s the difference between pad printing and UV printing and which is better?
Well, read on to find out more and we’ll let you decide for yourself.
(Image via Unsplash)
With pad printing, an inked design is taken by the silicone press of the pad printing machine and transferred onto the lego part.
Basically, it’s like using a giant stamp to print a design and it’s a more traditional way of printing.
One of the great things about pad printing is that because the press is made of silicone it moulds to the shape of the object and would give a cleaner print to curved surfaces. But one of the downsides is that you can only print colour at a time with pad printing. You’ve also got to factor in drying time before the next layer is printed.
This means that pad printing is a more costly process compared to UV printing. It's also woth noting that Official Lego products are pad printed, so if you want a more "authentic looking" minifigure then you should definitely opt for pad printing on your minifigures.
UV (ultraviolet) printing is a form of digital printing where a special type of ink is used and dried with UV lights. And becayse UV light is used to dry the ink and multiple colours can be applied at the same time, the process is relatively quick and costs less than pad printing.
However, one of the downsides of UV printing that many lego collectors and creators have voiced out is that you can feel the "layer" of UV printing on the lego part compared to the smooth finish of pad printed designs. But then again, there are others who argue that the differences between the two are miniscule and barely noticeable.
(Image via Unsplash)
Of course, this is ultimately dependent on the quality of inks and printers used and both can give you great quality prints on your lego parts! It's just a matter of preference.
The internet is a modern marvel made for crossing borders and connecting with people from all over the world. No matter how obscure your hobbies are, there’s always a place for you online to connect with like-minded people.
For LEGO lovers, those spaces are LUGs.
LEGO User Groups, or LUGs, are dedicated communities of AFOLs (Adult Fans of Legos) to connect over their love of Lego. While many LUGs hold events and meet-ups in real life, many enthusiasts also just join online communities like LUG forums or FaceBook pages. In the age of social media, anyone can join and share LEGO memes, show off their impressive collections and ask for advice about their own collections and of course, keep up-to-date on the latest products and news. Some LUGs even hold contests for members to win prizes!
(image via BricksFanz.com from Flickr)
Though not all LUGs are recognised officially with LEGO, there are over 400 recognised online communities and LUGs worldwide that are listed on LEGO’s official website. So you can probably imagine how many more LUGs there are unofficially.
So whether you’re a LEGO enthusiast in Germany or Spain, you’ll be able to find a LUG in your area and in your preferred language. LUGs aren’t just limited to countries, there are many that span across regions like Asia.
If you’re a new enthusiast, a collector or a photographer who hasn’t joined a LUG, here are a few reasons why you should!
Find a sense of community
Let’s be honest, lego are widely (wrongly) assumed to be toys for children and if you’re an AFOL, the chances of organically finding a group of people who love lego as you are pretty low. So, why not go online and join a community with people who share and understand the same passion for Lego as you?
Inspiration and Ideas
Many users share videos and photos of MOCs (My Own Creation), meaning self-built creations that weren't bought in a set. If you’re looking to create something of your own, these are a great way to get some ideas for your next project.
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(image via BricksFanz.com from Flickr)
Advice and Tutorials
If you’re a beginner and looking for advice about your lego, LUGs are a great way to get in touch with experienced collectors and builders and die-hard enthusiasts about your burning questions. Some users even share their tutorials of their creations so that you can re-create them easily.
If you’re a fledgling Lego enthusiast who is just starting out, just know that you aren't alone and in the age of the internet and social media, you're only one click away from joining an LUG and finding your community.
