High-Res Printing May Make 3D Printed Stripe Marks a Thing of the Past

Stripe marks are currently a dead giveaway that an object has been 3D printed. New, high-resolution printing, however, may soon make those telltale stripes a thing of the past.

A group of scientists from South Korea’s Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology have developed a new way to 3D print that allows the printing of objects as small as a blood cell.

The electrohydrodynamic inkjet process designed by the team uses specially designed inks that layer to form tiny 3D shapes (see below)

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These microscopic designs can allow 3D printers to print object smaller than the eye can see – as small as 0.001-millimeters in size – providing a new means of printing tiny circuitry and electrical objects. They can also help change the appearance of larger objects.

Using such a fine printing method, it is possible to create objects with a smooth texture right off the printer, meaning the telltale 3D striped patterns and roughness may soon be gone.

Photo Credit: Gizmodo