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Continuous tone printing in silicone from CNC milled matrices

Hoskins, S.; McCallion, Peter

Authors

Peter McCallion



Contributors

Maria V. Ortiz Segovia
Editor

Philipp Urban
Editor

Jan P. Allebach
Editor

Abstract

Current research at the Centre for Fine Print Research (CFPR) at the University of the West of England, Bristol, is exploring the potential of creating coloured pictorial imagery from a continuous tone relief surface. To create the printing matrices the research team have been using CNC milled images where the height of the relief image is dictated by creating a tone curve and then milling this curve into a series of relief blocks from which the image is cast in a silicone ink. A translucent image is cast from each of the colour matrices and each colour is assembled-one on top of another-resulting is a colour continuous tone print, where colour tone is created by physical depth of colour. This process is a contemporary method of continuous tone colour printing based upon the Nineteenth Century black and white printing process of Woodburytype as developed by Walter Bentley Woodbury in 1865. Woodburytype is the only true continuous tone printing process invented, and although its delicate and subtle surfaces surpassed all other printing methods at the time. The process died out in the late nineteenth century as more expedient and cost effective methods of printing prevailed. New research at CFPR builds upon previous research that combines 19th Century Photomechanical techniques with digital technology to reappraise the potential of these processes. © 2014 SPIE-IS & T.

Citation

Hoskins, S., & McCallion, P. (2014). Continuous tone printing in silicone from CNC milled matrices. Proceedings of SPIE, 9018, https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2043123

Journal Article Type Conference Paper
Conference Name 26th annual Symposium on Electronic Imaging, Society for Imaging Science and Technology and SPIE
Conference Location San Francisco, California, USA
Online Publication Date Feb 24, 2014
Publication Date Feb 24, 2014
Journal Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Print ISSN 0277-786X
Electronic ISSN 1996-756X
Publisher Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 9018
Article Number 901800
Series Title SPIE Proceedings
DOI https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2043123
Keywords continuous tone relief surface, colour, print, printing matrices, CNC
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1434301
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.2043123
Related Public URLs http://spie.org/Publications/Proceedings/Paper/10.1117/12.2043123
Additional Information Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : 26th annual Symposium on Electronic Imaging