China's three-dimensional printing industry grows rapidly and looks forward to new development

Stereoscopic printing of three-dimensional images to reproduce three-dimensional images has become an important content in the field of special printing. When it comes to stationery printing, three-dimensional printing cannot but be said. It can be said that three-dimensional printing adds a lot of color to the world of stationery decoration. Stereo printing as an independent printing technology has attracted the attention of many people in the industry. For this reason, some people who are engaged in the three-dimensional printing industry and readers are paying attention to the development of China's three-dimensional printing.

Three-dimensional printing

Stereo printing is a principle that simulates the spatial difference between human eyes. It records from different angles, records pixels at different angles on the photosensitive material, and recombines grating materials to restore the process of printing with a stereoscopic effect.

1. The characteristics of three-dimensional printing

(1) Strong stereoscopic effect, which can realistically reproduce objects. Product images are clear, rich levels, vivid image, profound artistic conception.

(2) The three-dimensional printing manuscripts are often photographed by design or scenery, and the printed matter is generally selected from high-quality coated paper and high-temperature ink printing, so the gloss is good, the color is bright, and it is not easy to fade.

(3) The surface of the printing product is covered with a layer of convex and concave lenticular mirrors, and the three-dimensional effect of the panoramic picture can be directly obtained.

2. The realization of three-dimensional printing

The realization of three-dimensional printing requires several steps, namely, manuscript production, plate making, printing + grating synthesis or direct printing.

(1) Manuscript Making

For manuscripts, stereoscopic photography can be used. This method is the most traditional manuscript preparation method for stereoscopic printing. The key to its operation is to take stereoscopic photographs. Before the photographing, the layout, distance, angle, and center point of the photographed object need to be performed. Accurate calculations. There are generally two methods for obtaining a stereoscopic image. The direct method and the indirect method are often referred to. The direct method uses a cylindrical grating to photograph, moves the camera within a certain field of vision, and shoots the subject continuously; the indirect method is specific Positions (5 to 8 positions) take a corresponding number of photos and then combine them exactly one. In comparison, the indirect method is better than the direct method in terms of stereoscopic effect, but it is more complicated and generally not used.

Thanks to the development of computer software technology, the way to obtain a three-dimensional picture is now much simpler. The high-end technology is to use professional stereoscopic image software to layer the flat picture directly and transform it into a three-dimensional image, such as 3D4U software, or the printing house uses graphics. The 3D software developed and improved by the image software can also be processed with existing common image software, such as Photoshop.

(2) Printing

It can be said that there are many ways of realizing the three-dimensional printing. At present, there are mainly two methods for the three-dimensional printing in China. One is to print directly on the back of the raster by means of an offset printing press, and the other is to pass a pattern through a high-precision offset printing machine. After printing on the paper, compound the grating.

The three-dimensional printing has higher requirements for color separation and screening accuracy of the plate making, and at the same time, a higher overprint accuracy is ensured to avoid the paper stretching during the printing process, resulting in inaccurate overprinting. The calculation accuracy of parameters such as grating pitch, angle, etc. is high, and the composite molding requires accurate positioning.

3. Three-dimensional printing material technology

(1) Paper
The paper for three-dimensional printing needs to be compact, smooth, flat, and small in stretchability. Coated or cardboard is usually used.

(2) grating material
There are mainly rigid plastic lenticular sheets and soft plastic steric lenticular sheets. Hard plastic three-dimensional lenticular sheet is made of polystyrene raw material through injection molding into convex-and-lens mirror-like grating sheet; soft plastic three-dimensional grating sheet is mainly made of polyvinyl chloride film base metal grating roller or grating plate pressed. Whether it is a hard plastic material or a soft plastic material, the transparency of the grating is required to be better.

(3) Ink
Drying speed is one of the most important requirements for three-dimensional printing inks. At present, some ink manufacturers can provide inks and additives suitable for three-dimensional printing. With proper ink selection, 3D printed images will have a distinctly finer level and clear edges.

(4) Adhesives
If the image on the plate is not printed directly onto the grating, the adhesive is still indispensable. Its function is to enable the printed product and the lenticular sheet to be firmly bonded together, and to protect the ink layer from discoloration at high temperatures.

4. The application of three-dimensional printing

In the development of three-dimensional printing, people are constantly trying to apply three-dimensional printing to various fields. The performance of three-dimensional printing on stationery decoration is especially colorful. From the ruler and stationery boxes to various notebooks and folder covers, to wall calendars, desk calendars, postcards, and even mouse pads and playing cards, stereoscopic prints are used. In particular, some commonly used children's stationery are popular with children because they satisfy the children's curiosity.

In addition to stationery, we can easily find three-dimensional printing in daily life. Three-dimensional pictures are often used to create window advertisements or applications in advertising hangtags, alcohol and tobacco anti-counterfeit trademarks, and other fields. Three-dimensional printing can also be used for the packaging of various products such as food, medicine, and cosmetics. The daily necessities are also fertile ground for the survival and development of three-dimensional printing.