COLORING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTED OBJECTS

• US 20190322096A1
• Filed: 06/30/2019
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: DIKOVSKY, Daniel, SHTILERMAN, Stanislav, BRESSLER, Yoav
• Granted Patent: US 11,059,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0082 Digital printing on bodies of particular shapes sublimation or volatilisation of pre-printed design B41M5/035
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/60 Colour correction or control H04N1/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6011 with simulation on a subsidiary picture reproducer H04N1/622 takes precedence; matching two or more picture reproducers H04N1/6052

Abstract

A method of printing a three-dimensional (3D) color object, layer-by-layer, comprises: obtaining a 3D CAD specification defining a 3D geometry and a surface color distribution for the color object to be printed, defining regions on a surface of the color object; defining colors for each region based on the CAD specification; determining, using the 3D geometry of the specification, conditions applying at respective regions that are liable to cause color variation, such that using the colors as defined at the respective regions may give rise to a coloration error; selecting color corrections defined for respective determined conditions; correcting the defined colors; and printing the 3D color object with the color corrections.

Claims

1. A method of printing a three-dimensional (3D) color object comprising:

obtaining a 3D CAD file defining a 3D geometry and a color texture for said color object;

dividing said 3D geometry into a core and a color shell;

dividing said color shell into volumetric regions;

calculating expected printing conditions for each of the volumetric regions;

populating each of the volumetric regions with color voxels providing an intended color according to a lookup table (LUT) of color values against actual printed color composition under different printing conditions; and

printing said 3D color object.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising constructing said LUT by:

printing color calibration targets using actual printed color compositions while exposing to different printing conditions;

measuring the resulting color value for each of said targets using a colorimetry device; and

tabulating the measured color values against the actual printed color composition and the respective printing conditions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said printing conditions are selected from UV exposure level, sample orientation on tray, gloss/matte print mode, and any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said actual printed color compositions are based on C, M, Y, white and black color materials.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said color values are represented by one of RGB color coordinates, CIE Lab coordinates, HSL, LCH and Grey Values.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the thickness of said color shell is calculated relative to an extinction depth of the color materials used.

7. A method of printing a three-dimensional (3D) color object comprising:

obtaining a 3D CAD file defining a 3D geometry and a color value for said color object;

dividing said 3D geometry into volumetric regions;

calculating expected printing conditions for each of the volumetric regions;

populating each of the volumetric regions with color voxels providing an intended color according to a lookup table (LUT) of color values against actual printed color composition under different printing conditions; and

printing said 3D color object.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising constructing said LUT by:

printing color calibration targets using actual printed color compositions while exposing to different printing conditions;

measuring the resulting color value for each of said targets using a colorimetry device; and

tabulating the measured color values against the actual printed color composition and the respective printing conditions.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said printing conditions are selected from UV exposure level, sample orientation on tray, gloss/matte print mode, and any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said actual printed color compositions are based on C, M, Y, white and black color materials.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said color values are represented by one of RGB color coordinates, CIE Lab coordinates, HSL, LCH and Grey Values.