Multi-dimensional art works and methods

• US 9,975,372 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2016
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skyline Art Surfaces, LLC
• Original Assignee: Charles White, Kirk Bauer, Louise Nicholson Carter
• Inventors: White, Charles, Carter, Louise Nicholson, Bauer, Kirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Shamim
• Application Number:
  US15/188,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20170361642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 2205/14 Production or use of a mask
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 1/222 using machine-driven mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 1/227 by etching
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/02 Local etching
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/20 for etching aluminium or alloys thereof

Abstract

In some embodiments, a method may include selectively applying a mask to a first surface of a substrate. The mask may include one or more components defining a selected pattern and having a non-uniform density. The method may further include etching the first surface of the substrate based on the mask and selectively processing the first surface of the substrate to produce a multi-dimensional artwork.

Claims

1. A method comprises:

selectively printing a selected pattern onto a first surface of a substrate in a single printing operation using a printer, the selected pattern including one or more pigments having a non-uniform density, the non-uniform density being formed by printing at least one pigment at a first pigment density at a first portion of the selected pattern and printing at least one of the first pigment and a second pigment of the one or more pigments at a second pigment density at a second portion of the selected pattern such that the selected pattern includes a spatially varying pigment density;

exposing the selected pattern to ultraviolet light to cure the one or more pigments to form the mask having a spatially variable thickness based on the non-uniform density;

etching the first surface of the substrate to produce an etched surface based on the mask, the etched surface having a first etch depth in first areas of the first surface having no pigment, having a second etch depth beneath the first portion of the selected pattern, and having a third etch depth beneath the second portion of the selected pattern; and

selectively processing the etched surface of the substrate to produce a multi-dimensional artwork.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more pigments includes at least two pigment compositions.

3. The method claim 2, wherein the at least two pigment compositions includes at least two of a black pigment, a cyan pigment, a magenta pigment, a yellow pigment, and a white pigment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected pattern includes selected pigments and pigment combinations of a plurality of pigments at selected densities defining the selected pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a pigment density based on at least one of a selected line thickness and a selected etch determined from an image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the substrate comprises a metal; and

etching the first surface includes exposing the mask and the substrate to an etching bath having a selected solution strength for a selected period of time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the metal includes aluminum; and

the etching bath comprises a bath of copper sulfate salt.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the etching bath comprises a saline solution.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively processing the etched surface comprises machine polishing selected surfaces of the substrate to produce a mirror finish.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively processing the etched surface comprises:

applying an ink directly to the etched surface; and

using ultraviolet light to cure the ink.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively processing the etched surface comprises:

machine polishing selected surfaces;

selectively applying an ink adhesion promoter to at least a portion of the etched surface; and

applying an ink to the etched surface, the ink including at least one pigment.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising applying a protective coating to the etched surface to seal the ink to the etched surface.

13. The method claim 1, wherein selectively processing the etched surface comprises:

selectively applying an ink to the etched surface while selectively preventing exposure to ultraviolet light;

selectively applying thermographic material to the etched surface at selected densities;

removing excess thermographic material;

applying ultraviolet light to the first surface to cure the ink; and

heating the substrate to melt the thermoplastic material to achieve multiple textures.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively processing the etched surface comprises:

covering an ultraviolet light of a printer; and

selectively applying ink to at least a portion of the etched surface using the printer; and

wherein selectively applying the ink includes shrinking a printing area of a pattern by a few pixels in X and Y dimensions to compensate for spread of uncured ink.

15. A method comprising:

selectively printing a selected pattern onto a first surface of a substrate, the pattern including at least two of a plurality of pigment components and including a non-uniform density formed by printing one of the at least two of the plurality of pigments with a first density at a first portion of the selected pattern and at a second density at a second portion of the selected pattern, wherein the first density and a second density are greater than zero;

exposing the selected pattern to ultraviolet light to form a mask having a spatially variable thickness based on the non-uniform density;

selectively exposing the mask and the first surface of the substrate to an etching solution to produce an etched surface, the etched surface having a first etch depth in first areas of the first surface having no pigment, having a second etch depth beneath the first portion of the selected pattern, and having a third etch depth beneath the second portion of the selected pattern; and

selectively processing the etched surface to produce a multi-dimensional workpiece.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein selectively processing the etched surface comprises:

machine polishing at least a portion of the etched surface; and

selectively applying at least one of an ink and a thermographic plastic to the etched surface.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

exposing the etched surface to ultraviolet light to cure the ink; and

selectively heating the substrate when thermographic plastic is applied to the etched surface.