I'm Gabriel Platt, creator of the blackest material publicly available. And it's a t-shirt. Ask me Anything!

How can I, a middle-aged goth out of touch with the gothling kids these days, purchase one of these shirts to flaunt my old-school goth superiority?

LOAD "*",8,1

Found the Comodore user and his floppy drive!

Now there you are wrong, because I had a double drive!

Ahhh... look at Me. Fancypants there! I upgraded from a tape to the 1541 5 1/4 floppy and was totally blown away by that freaking speed improvement... 😂 At least 25 years since I typed this command the last time...

My parents bought mine from hacker. That's why it had a double floppy. And a black desktop! Ehm, screen background? Wow, I don't speak that language anymore

Ok when will you properly sell a tactical black turtleneck of this ?

Ok, I kind of waited or that question. He.

I wrote to the Instagram account of Archer and even to PAAAAM! u/ambercnash (goddammit!). But never received a reply. I don't even think we would ever sell this. I just really love the show. Oh and I learned of it through our last iAmA, thanks reddit!

Well yeah. Archer needs 5 in black and 5 in a..slightly darker black.

You know what you have to do!

Call (insert NAS relevant acronym here)?

That's awesome. Can I buy a long ream of the uncut material? I want to cover my home theatre room in it. Also, is it easy to wash?

This is an application I had not considered. I too would like a long roll of this fabric.

I also would like a roll of this fabric

Ok, seems like you guys really want that. I will contact those who commented accordingly and we'll figure something out

Why is the hose from that machine going into your arse?

Can I still get the blackest t shirt ever made without a machine pumping the devils magic into my anus or is that all part of it?

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate leads to suffering

ugh fine, prequel memes are my weakness, is this intended for a purpose or just one of those 'to have it' type of deals?

Well it was kind of an artistic concept originally. There are different creative tools: combination, deconstruction and one is to take something to the extreme.

But we found two really practical practices besides it just looking good:

The first is that we were surprised that we had a lot of heavier people ordering (we actually had to add plus sizes) because they wanted to look thinner.

The other, more profane one, was that it's really good to make bets against other black clad people. We even made an app with a light meter so you can win booze

Have you thought about making negative fill for the film industry? I think I’d want a shirt like this to work crew on film.

The company who had the blackest fabric before us (shout out to Showtex, who were a big help) used theirs for theater backgrounds. We've sent them some of ours, but they seem to pivot into another business direction

Given the continued squabbles over the licensing of vantablack, and your own interest in profiting from a similar concept, how do you feel about the ownership/licensing of colors? Should individuals/brands be allowed to have exclusive rights to a certain color? Does it make any difference whether the color is something that cannot be produced by the average person with access to standard art supplies?

Interesting question. So first of all, you can't own a color. You can own the name and you can patent the production process, if said process is an innovation.

This project taught me a lot about the fascinating history of different (rare) colors and the history of the color black specifically

Sorry, but that didn’t really answer my question. I’d respectfully ask that you re-read my comment and offer an answer more aligned to it. I’m not asking “how does licensing work?” — I’m asking “Should we allow these types of ‘boutique’ colors to be produced and sold, especially given the precedent that it establishes that portions of the visible spectrum can be branded and licensed for profit?” You started this AMA in your capacity as an entrepreneur in this field; I hope you can offer a bit more insight into its ethical concerns.

Edit: hey downvoters, I respectfully asked for an answer to my actual question, which OP subsequently provided and substantially enriched the discussion. What exactly are you downvoting?

Yes, sorry I wasn't precise enough.

"Should we allow these types of ‘boutique’ colors to be produced and sold Yes, innovation is a good thing. If capitalism is, is a whole different discussion

...especially given the precedent that it establishes that portions of the visible spectrum can be branded I wouldn't know of a product, you weren't allowed to brand

...and licensed for profit? see, here is the destinction. It's not the color that's being licensed, It's the brand name and the production process. You are absolutely free to come up with an even blacker black

Were you not aware that my soul owns the copyright on that particular shade?

You could fight my ex about it. But believe me, you wouldn't want that

Gonna make underpants?

Don't want to frighten the ladies?

Have you considered doing merch for Spinal Tap?

I don't know, they would probably keep complaining about the blackness of it

None. None more black.

didididibang

This is super cool. I’d love to get one of these. If this is the blackest material PUBLICLY available, what’s the blackest material not publicly available?

Vantablack

Sehr gut. Genau!

Danke.

Brudi

Sagen Sie guter Mann, sprechen Sie Deutsch?

Ehm, is that a beerhall?

Do you have a cat? Somehow I'm very certain you don't have a cat...

I love cats. But I somehow late developed an allergy. Which is good, because otherwise I'd hate them now. The universe, man...

Will this fabric fade?

Yes. Not as bad as a natural fiber though and even if it does ater some hundred washings, you still got a cool black shirt

Will this hide you in the shadows when you need to duck out of a social gathering?

Actually probably yes! The Gaboon Viper uses her ultra black scales so prey doesn't recognise its form (animals and humans are very good at form recognition).

And if nobody sees you as a person...

Shit, I don't need a shirt for that.

<4

I bought one of these shirts during the crowdfunding phase and I notice the material wasn't what I was expecting. Instead of being soft like a normal shirt, it was very stiff and had a very plastic feel to it. Are there any plans to change that?

Thanks.

Yes, our first prototype was a cotton fabric. Through the different partners we went through (6) it became clear that we weren't able to stay with a natural fiber. I am sorry, but it will always stay a synthetic even if we somewhen will be able to miniaturize the thickness. But that's a big leap

I assume it's due to requiring thickness to block light, where cotton could stretch and afford light to bleed through this material is less prone to that

Yes that's one of the reasons. And that 3D structure of course puts on thickness as well

How noisy is this synthetic fabric while moving about, compared to say, standard cotton you’d get on a T-shirt?

That's a oddly specific question. But thinking about it, it is indeed noisier than a cotton shirt.

He's asking for a ninja friend of his.

That was sneaky, but then, what do you expect?

Is it true what they say, that once you go with this particular color of t-shirt you never go back?

The holy grail of customer retention, so to speak

Doesn't Anish Kapoor own Vantablack?

No, he has a license to use Vantablack, and this only in an artistic context

I have to ask, what's up with the weird seethrough mesh things on the sleeves of the shirt? Are you going to sell a normal T-shirt with Vantablack?

How is it possible to make Vantablack into a dye? Or is this a different product? I was under the impression it was a special coating, like a paint. Does the material you apply the dye to (e.g. cotton, polyester...) affect how dark the final product looks?

That's just the design of the shirt. Just to be clear, this isn't Vantablack. We use a very dark pigment and create a surface structure that traps light

Will it be available in paint or other form?

There is a paint from Stuart Semple that is very black. And other textiles are in the making

How much more black could it be?

None more black

So, how does the 'blackness' hold up after washing?

Very well. It's a synthetic and they don't fade very much.

Synthetics don't fade. Anybody in need of a band name?

Have you signed the contract to paint Disaster Area’s spaceships?

Would. But the sound somehow is just unbearable after thirty seven miles

From the picture, it looks like it has a velvet texture. Does it?

Yes, that's the 3D surface that attracts light. It's much shorter than velvet, though

Thanks for the reply! My go-to for getting dust and fibers off of velvet is tape, usually masking tape. Would that damage the surface much?

Not at all. But as practical Germans, we put a designer lint roller in your packet as a giveaway ^{^}

A long-sleeve pull-over hoodie, even if material is thin, would be a great product that we ninjas could get behind. Any plans?

Also, no one has asked about pricing yet, which surprises me. Why is the cost (comparatively) so high? Is it due to sourcing materials from the dark lord himself?

Nah, he's just taking your soul as currency.

The price comes from two different factors. * Material: we, compared to fast fashion, order such low quantities that we have to pay a premium. Also the fabric is made in Italy * Labour: We produce in Germany under fair wages

Look at a Gucci t-Shirt or Off-White. You pay hundreds there and thats for a normal cotton shirt which is not costing more than 10$ in production.

Why do the sleeves look so terrible?

Yeah sorry u/raptordesign. You'll need proper arms for them

Can you post a photo of someone with proper arms wearing it?

Wooosh. That was a joke relating to your username

I could see this selling very well in the entertainment and staging industry. Do you have any plans to make slacks/shoes with this material for stagehands/production crews?

Not yet, but you were not the first one mentioning this today. Will look into it, thank you

I was just talking to my son about this today. Is it possible to ever create a nail polish with this technology?

Well not with this technology, but the basic concept of creating a rough surface that is optimised to trap light

Why are the sleeves so short?

Part of the design. There is a longsleeve, though, without mesh inserts

What is the point/usage of the shirt?

Answered this below:

Well it was kind of an artistic concept originally. There are different creative tools: combination, deconstruction and one is to take something to the extreme.

But we found two really practical practices besides it just looking good:

The first is that we were surprised that we had a lot of heavier people ordering (we actually had to add plus sizes) because they wanted to look thinner.

The other, more profane one, was that it's really good to make bets against other black clad people. We even made an app with a light meter so you can win booze

What happens if I bleach it?

It becomes a black shirt with loose morals

Are you single?

Sorry, I'm together with Phoebe and we have two little boys

How about a dress shirt with collar and buttons and a breast pocket?

Sorry, not the right material for it. But maybe in a later iteration

Is there just a black tee version ? like plain black tee without sleeve details ? Not into those at all ✌🏼

There is a longsleeve as well. You can see it in the last pictures and select it through the pull down menue

I mean just a plain tee without those mesh trims in the sleeves . Regular old plain t shirt. That’s what I wear and that’s what I would love to buy in super black

Yes, I understood. But I am sorry, we don't have that

Why t-shirts of all things?

Well clothes because of we are a fashion brand and a shirt specifically because we thought it's the most accessible

A guy made something darker than vantablack on youtube btw. But my question why? Why do you want to make a super black tshirt? Im actually intrested in buying it but thats besides the point!

You are probably referring to this hole in a box, which of course is not a material. I talked to the creator of Vantablack about it and he said it was a gimmick. I guess that's about the harshest criticism you could get from a British gentleman scientist

It really started when we saw this meme. Our clothes are black and as a creative you constantly work with different tools: combination, deconstruction and one is to take something to the extreme. So it just clicked and we said why not try it?

Is it not true that Sniptanium is actually the blackest substance known to man?

And there I thought i heard all memetic references around that subject

I'm guessing this absorbs heat from the sun like crazy making it basically unwearable in the sun?

No, actually not at all. At our first iAmA I also concluded this would be the case, but in fact heat (infrared) waves are not being absorbed. So there is no big difference to any other black shirt.

Fun fact, we also made a shirt that only heats up like a white shirt. The effect is really astonishing

Am I crazy or are there clearly reflections all over the t-shirt?

Yes, you do get some reflections. Not many, but due to the forest-like structure, the effect is getting less from some angles

Does it have increased protection for UV-Sunlight?

​

edit: färbt es ab und wenn ja wie stark fränkelt man danach?? ;)

Ich habe keine Angst, dass es abfärbt. Zumindest nicht so viel, wie dass der Fränkische Dialekt auf mich abfärbt

They say wearing black is slimming. So if this is the blackest t-shirt on the market, how much skinnier will it make me?

About 40% thinner

On your website under the viper black section, two of the photos are of a long sleeve shirt, and the rest are short sleeve. Do we have the option of a long sleeve version?

Yes, you need to open the pull down size menue

How is this compared to VantaBlack?

Vantablack is a lot blacker. If I'd turn a Vantablack cube in front of your eyes, you would only see the outlines change. It looks really freaky and is hard to process. We are the next best thing, though

How does it handle washing? What's the life of the shirt?

We are recommending hand wash. But since its a synthetic, it's very sturdy. Hundreds of washes

How dark is your humor?

I think this is really funny.

Nice, germans, unfortunately there some blind ones that can’t get in joy of your invention. Do you know how to call them? A Not See

But then they already experience it in a much more immersive way. I'll show myself out...