engleski

THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING AND GRAPHIC TECHNOLOGY: HOW DO THEY FIT IN?

Among the rapid prototyping community, 3D printing is classified as additive, powder-based technique. 3D printing process described here is the 3D printing from ZCorporation. 3D printing works on the basis of the conventional ink-jet printing. It is currently the only RP method capable of producing objects in full color. In a 3D color printer, the colorants are part of the binder solution. The current systems use three or four “ inks” – CMY or CMYK, with the addition of clear binder, and reproduce color on the basis of conventional ink-jet printing. Although being a RP process, its basic principle of objects production and color capabilities are the reason why it is a topic of interest for the graphic technology based research. In this overview, reproduction of color in 3D ink-jet printing as well as the research methodology of 3D color measurements and analysis is explained. Issues which are addressed include: 3D color test charts object design, 3D prints surface implications of color appearance and measurements, color variations due to the 3D objects production process and post-processing, color permanence of 3D prints. It is concluded that graphic technology methods developed for dealing with conventional ink-jet printing color issues can, to some extent, be applied to issues arising in the recently developed field of 3D color printing. The 3D color printing is a subject of joint interest and the ground for cooperation for both rapid prototyping (solid freeform fabrication) and graphic technology based research and applications.

3D printing; graphic technology; color; reproduction; measurements; permanence

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