Method and apparatus for creating 3D-prints and a 3-D printing system
First Claim
1. A method for creating a print file for making a printing master used for contact printing, by printing a 3-D print using a 3-D printing system, the 3-D print including a plurality of 3-D structures printed on a substrate, each 3-D print structure having a height with respect to the substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a two-dimensional source image including a plurality of image pixels;
generating a filtered image by applying a topographic operator to the source image to generate for every image pixel a representation of a pixel height profile value, each pixel height profile value of the filtered image corresponding to a cross-section layer through the 3-D print structure which is to be formed by 3-D printing, thereby including in the filtered image definitions of a plurality of image layers to be printed using the 3-D printing system, the topographic operator having the properties to ensure that;
any cross-section through a solid section of the formed 3-D print structure at a second level in the 3-D print structure which is closer to the substrate than a first level has an area which is equal to or larger than the area of the cross-section of the 3-D print structure at the first level; and
the heights of all 3-D print structures in the pixel height profile values which define the printing contact surface all lie substantially within a single printing surface above the substrate before the 3-D printing of the 3-D print structures;
slicing the picture height profile values of the filtered image into a plurality of image layers; and
outputting the print file based on the plurality of image layers;
whereinthe step of applying the topographic operator includes;
generating binary halftone dots from the source image;
thereafter transforming the binary halftone dots into blurred halftone dots having a height profile in the form of a plurality of blurred halftone dot layers; and
thereafter choosing a blurred halftone dot layer to be printed as an image layer.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for creating a print file for printing a 3-D print using a 3-D printing system is described, the 3-D print comprising a plurality of 3-D structures printed on a substrate, each 3-D print structure having a height with respect to the substrate. A two-dimensional source image is input comprising a plurality of image pixel areas. A filtered image is obtained by applying a topographic operator to the source image to generate for every image pixel a representation of a pixel height profile, the pixel height profile corresponding to cross-sections through a 3-D print structure which is to be formed by 3-D printing. Thereby definitions of a plurality of image layers are generated from the filtered image for printing using the 3-D printing system. The print file is output based on the plurality of image layers.
The topographic operator has the following property:
any cross-section through a solid section of a 3-D structure at a second level in the 3-D print structure which is closer to the substrate than a first level has an area which is equal to or larger than the area of the cross-section of the 3-D structure at the first level.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method for creating a print file for making a printing master used for contact printing, by printing a 3-D print using a 3-D printing system, the 3-D print including a plurality of 3-D structures printed on a substrate, each 3-D print structure having a height with respect to the substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a two-dimensional source image including a plurality of image pixels; generating a filtered image by applying a topographic operator to the source image to generate for every image pixel a representation of a pixel height profile value, each pixel height profile value of the filtered image corresponding to a cross-section layer through the 3-D print structure which is to be formed by 3-D printing, thereby including in the filtered image definitions of a plurality of image layers to be printed using the 3-D printing system, the topographic operator having the properties to ensure that; any cross-section through a solid section of the formed 3-D print structure at a second level in the 3-D print structure which is closer to the substrate than a first level has an area which is equal to or larger than the area of the cross-section of the 3-D print structure at the first level; and the heights of all 3-D print structures in the pixel height profile values which define the printing contact surface all lie substantially within a single printing surface above the substrate before the 3-D printing of the 3-D print structures; slicing the picture height profile values of the filtered image into a plurality of image layers; and outputting the print file based on the plurality of image layers;
whereinthe step of applying the topographic operator includes; generating binary halftone dots from the source image; thereafter transforming the binary halftone dots into blurred halftone dots having a height profile in the form of a plurality of blurred halftone dot layers; and
thereafter choosing a blurred halftone dot layer to be printed as an image layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for creating a print file for making a printing master used for contact printing, by printing a 3-D print using a 3-D printing system, the 3-D print including a plurality of 3-D structures printed on a substrate, each 3-D print structure having a height with respect to the substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a two-dimensional source image including a plurality of image pixels; generating binary halftone dots from the source image; generating a blurred image by applying a topographic operator to the binary halftone dots to generate for every image pixel a representation of a pixel height profile value, each pixel height profile value of the blurred image corresponding to a cross-section layer through the 3-D print structure which is to be formed by 3-D printing, thereby including in the blurred image definitions of a plurality of image layers to be printed using the 3-D printing system, the topographic operator having the properties to ensure that; any cross-section through a solid section of the formed 3-D print structure at a second level in the 3-D print structure which is closer to the substrate than a first level has an area which is equal to or larger than the area of the cross-section of the 3-D print structure at the first level; and the heights of all 3-D print structures in the pixel height profile values which define the printing contact surface all lie substantially within a single printing surface above the substrate before the 3-D printing of the 3-D print structures; slicing the picture height profile values of the image into a plurality of image layers; and outputting the print file based on the plurality of image layers. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification