Pasteups

Pasteups are artworks or layouts produced by pasting together printed or prepared elements onto a surface. The term covers both historical publishing practices and contemporary street art. In publishing and printing, a paste-up refers to the physical assembly of text blocks, images, or captions on a page or board before final reproduction. Printers and designers used scissors, glue, and wax to position copy and illustrations on layout sheets; the paste-up then went to camera-ready services or plate-making. With the advent of digital typesetting and desktop publishing, the paste-up stage largely disappeared.

In street art and urban practice, pasteups involve affixing posters or handmade prints to walls, utility poles, and other surfaces, usually with wheatpaste or starch-based adhesives. This approach allows rapid dissemination of images or messages and favors reproducibility and guerrilla distribution. Pasteups can be created as standalone pieces or as part of a larger series; artists often choose locations to maximize visibility or commentary. The practice is often informal and may be illegal, varying by city and property rules, and works are frequently subject to weathering, vandalism, or removal.

Materials include printed reproductions, photocopies, or original drawings, produced on paper or vinyl; adhesives range from homemade wheatpaste to commercial wallpaper glue. Common surfaces include brick, concrete, and urban fixtures. In both senses, pasteups reflect a balance between accessibility and permanence, offering a cost-effective method for individuals and small studios to share visuals with a broad audience.