Via ProstheticKnowledge: Computational Hydrographic Printing Method developed at Columbia University can accurately apply a print designed for specific surface shape from flat printouts. Interesting to note that this method can compliment 3D Printing with a standard home printer: Hydrographic printing is a well-known technique in industry for transferring color inks on a thin film to the surface of a manufactured 3D object. It enables high-quality coloring of object surfaces and works with a wide range of materials, but suffers from the inability to accurately register color texture to complex surface geometries. Thus, it is hardly usable by ordinary users with customized shapes and textures. We present computational hydrographic printing, a new method that inherits the versatility of traditional hydrographic printing, while also enabling precise alignment of surface textures to possibly complex 3D surfaces. More here: Computer Science Department – Columbia University
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