Currently, the Printstream series includes three skins. The stylish black-and-white color scheme is unmistakable, so if you're collecting inventory in a uniform style, consider acquiring all three. Interestingly, their design, which has become popular among players, was the result of serendipity.
How the Printstream Series Came About
The creator of the series, a skin maker under the nickname JTPNZ, said he is studying to be a 3D artist and plans to create art for video games in the future. He tried making his first skins back in 2016, learning the process from a tutorial by Coridium, creator of the Asiimov series, which we recently discussed.
JTPNZ mentions that the skin design was the result of random inspiration. He was experimenting with the "pearlescent shine" feature, which had recently appeared in the game, and discovered that it gave an unexpectedly interesting effect on a black-and-white skin. The XXXY logo, which can be seen on all the series skins, came about by association with a sticker that once adorned his PC case, while the square and heart refer to the Nirvana song "Heart-Shaped Box". Similarly, the series' name came from a command in Java programming used for creating ASCII format images. And in translation, this word means "Data Stream".
The first to appear was the AK-47 Printstream, which has not yet been selected for the game. Its design was liked by the community members, and JTPNZ decided to make it for other guns too. Five types of weapons were included in the collection, but in the end, the developers selected only three. Thanks to their use of "pearlescent" coating, as float increases, the skin develops patina and darkens, while the amount of wear remains minimal. Therefore, even skins with high wear levels look quite decent.
M4A1-S Printstream
The most expensive skin in this series is the M4A1 Printstream. In the standard version, its cost can be around $400, and in a version with a kill counter it can exceed $900. The high cost is due to it being a skin for one of the most popular guns in CS2, and the expressive design looks great both on its own and in combination with stickers.
Desert Eagle Printstream
The skin for the Desert Eagle was the first in the series to be accepted into the official collection. Interestingly, JTPNZ made it last and considers it less successful than the others. Apparently, the developers were of a different opinion, and the item was added to the game in August 2020.
USP-S Printstream
The newest skin in the series is the USP-S Printstream. It was added in 2022 as part of the Recoil collection. The prices for the USP-S and Desert Eagle skins are comparable: depending on the quality and presence of a counter, they can cost from $20 to over a hundred dollars.
What Combines Well with Printstream Skins
If you want to enhance these skins with a few stickers, keep in mind that stickers with similar effects, such as team holographic emblems or geometric patterns like Infinite Diamond, look best on a pearlescent background. Among the many designs of gloves, there are also suitable options with black and white color schemes, such as Driver Gloves Black Tie or Moto Gloves Smoke Out. All these items and many others can be found on LIS-SKINS at very pleasant prices.
Finally, in addition to the famous Printstream series, JTPNZ has two standalone skins. M4A4 Ghouls in Town is inspired by the Thai tradition - the festival of the same name, where people can be seen wearing painted masks like the one depicted on the weapon's handle. The second skin, USP-S On Sight, was made for the Dreams and Nightmares case, but it did not pass selection at the time. However, it is possible that other JTPNZ works will appear in the game one day.