Communications of the ACM
Playboy Centerfold Photo Shrunk to Width of Human Hair
The image of Lena Soderberg is often used to test printing techniques thanks to its mix of textures, shading, and detail.
Credit: Nature
The Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) has printed a color photo measuring just 50 micrometers across.
The photo is a crop of the portrait of Lena Soderberg, a Swedish supermodel, who originally appeared in a 1972 issue of Playboy, and is commonly used for testing printing techniques. The A*STAR researchers developed a device that can produce color images of up to 100,000 dots per inch, a method that could be used to print tiny watermarks or secret messages for security purposes.
"Our color-mapping strategy produces images with both sharp color changes and fine tonal variations, is amenable to large-volume color printing … and could be useful in making micro-images for security," the researchers say.
To develop the image, the researchers used tiny silver and gold particles which, when arranged in a certain manner, produce color. "Instead of taking normal dyes and using conventional printing, they're making colors out of one material by adjusting nanostructure in a lithographic [a technique to create patterns] experiment," says Northwestern University professor Chad Mirkin.
From BBC News
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