Embossed Wallpaper Digital Printing Color Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing flexible wallpaper often result in color deviations between and within production batches due to the influence of substrates and surface textures, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs, particularly when digital printing techniques are used.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing flexible wallpaper with an embossed pattern that limits the maximum depth of the embossed pattern to 1.0 mm or less, allowing direct digital printing without additional ink receiving layers, using a wet-on-wet printing technique and optimizing substrate tension to minimize color variations and improve production efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If digital printing techniques are used to apply thin print patterns, then production efficiency and flexibility are improved, but color deviations increase due to substrate and surface texture influences
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediate coating layer is introduced between the substrate and the digital print pattern. This coating acts as a mediator that reduces the influence of the substrate and surface texture on the print colors, thereby minimizing color deviations while allowing thin print applications with digital printing techniques
Solution Approach 2:
The surface properties of the coating layer are optimized to provide appropriate ink receptivity for digital printing. By controlling parameters such as surface energy, porosity, and thickness of the coating, the system achieves both good print quality with thin ink layers and reduced color variation across different production batches
2Manufacturing precision
If additional print receiving layers are applied to reduce color deviations, then color consistency is improved, but production cost and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate coating layer serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides a stable base for digital printing, reduces substrate influence on color, offers appropriate surface texture for ink receptivity, and maintains production efficiency. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for separate, specialized print receiving layers
Solution Approach 2:
The functions of the coating layer and traditional print receiving layers are merged into a single integrated coating application step. This combines the benefits of substrate protection, color stabilization, and print receptivity enhancement into one process step, reducing overall process complexity
3Shape
If embossed patterns are applied to the coating, then aesthetic quality is improved, but color deviations increase due to light scattering and substrate influence
Solution Approach 1:
The coating is provided with localized embossed patterns that create aesthetic surface textures while the overall coating composition and thickness are controlled to maintain color consistency. The embossing is applied in a way that preserves the coating's optical properties and reduces light scattering effects
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
The current invention concerns an automated method to produce wall coverings, preferably flexible wall coverings and more preferably wallpaper, which method comprises the steps of providing a substrate layer which is essentially endless along a longitudinal dimension and which substrate layer has a top side and a back side, providing a thermoplastic material coating on the top side of said substrate layer, providing said coating with an embossed pattern and providing a print pattern directly on top of the embossed coating using a digital printing device, whereby the depth of the embossed pattern provided in the coating comprises a maximum value of about 1.0 mm.