Abstract: A seamless, embossed or cast substrate is formed using a seamless sleeve having a seamless surface relief formed thereon and configured to slide over an cylindrical base in an embossing or casting assembly. The substrate is a flat web, foil, or film of, for example, paper, polyester, polypropylene, metal or other elongated flat material. The surface relief can be applied through interfering ablation, non-interfering ablation, ink jet printing, or other techniques wherein a seamless surface relief is formed onto the seamless sleeve. A method of making a seamless, embossed or cast substrate includes expanding a diameter of a seamless sleeve having a seamless surface relief formed thereon, sliding the expanded seamless sleeve onto a cylindrical base, allowing the diameter of the seamless sleeve to contract around the cylindrical base, and conveying a substrate through the embossing or casting assembly and embossing or casting the seamless surface relief into the substrate.

Abstract: A seamless, embossed or cast substrate is formed using a seamless sleeve having a seamless surface relief formed thereon and configured to slide over an cylindrical base in an embossing or casting assembly. The substrate is a flat web, foil, or film of, for example, paper, polyester, polypropylene, metal or other elongated flat material. The surface relief can be applied through interfering ablation, non-interfering ablation, ink jet printing, or other techniques wherein a seamless surface relief is formed onto the seamless sleeve. A method of making a seamless, embossed or cast substrate includes expanding a diameter of a seamless sleeve having a seamless surface relief formed thereon, sliding the expanded seamless sleeve onto a cylindrical base, allowing the diameter of the seamless sleeve to contract around the cylindrical base, and conveying a substrate through the embossing or casting assembly and embossing or casting the seamless surface relief into the substrate.

Abstract: An enhanced optical interference pattern, such as a diffraction grating, is incorporated into a photodefineable surface by shining three or more beams of coherent light from a single source at a photodefinable surface, such as a photosensitive emulsion/photoresist covered glass or an ablatable substrate and mapping the diffraction grating pattern to the photodefinable surface. Mapping of the optical interference pattern is created by interference of three or more light beams, such as laser light or other light sources producing a suitable spectrum of light. The mapped photodefinable surface can be used to create embossing shims. The embossing shim can then be used to emboss film or paper. The embossed film/paper can be metalized and laminated onto a substrate to create a product that has shifting patterns at a variety of viewing angles when exposed to white light.

Abstract: A variety of deep structured decorative patterns originate with mechanical relief or etching. The present method incorporates a deeply patterned or textured etching or relief into a thin film embossing shim to simulate the look of the deep pattern or texture when used to emboss thin film or material. A transparent mold of the relief surface (such as brushed metal, engine-turned patterns, and textured glass) is formed using UV curable liquid and a transparent substrate. The relief copy in the transparent mold or overlay is mapped onto a photoresist surface or plate by shining or expanding one or more laser lights or laser beams through the transparent mold. The different heights of the relief copy of the transparent mold will cause the light to diffract/refract to form a corresponding patterned etching in the photoresist plate. The resulting photoresist plate is then metalized and electroplated to form a thin film embossing shim.

Abstract: A seamless, embossed or cast substrate is formed using a seamless sleeve having a seamless surface relief formed thereon and configured to slide over an cylindrical base in an embossing or casting assembly. The substrate is a flat web, foil, or film of, for example, paper, polyester, polypropylene, metal or other elongated flat material. The surface relief can be applied through interfering ablation, non-interfering ablation, ink jet printing, or other techniques wherein a seamless surface relief is formed onto the seamless sleeve. A method of making a seamless, embossed or cast substrate includes expanding a diameter of a seamless sleeve having a seamless surface relief formed thereon, sliding the expanded seamless sleeve onto a cylindrical base, allowing the diameter of the seamless sleeve to contract around the cylindrical base, and conveying a substrate through the embossing or casting assembly and embossing or casting the seamless surface relief into the substrate.

Abstract: An enhanced optical interference pattern, such as a diffraction grating, is incorporated into a photodefineable surface by shining three or more beams of coherent light from a single source at a photodefinable surface, such as a photosensitive emulsion/photoresist covered glass or an ablatable substrate and mapping the diffraction grating pattern to the photodefinable surface. Mapping of the optical interference pattern is created by interference of three or more light beams, such as laser light or other light sources producing a suitable spectrum of light. The mapped photodefinable surface can be used to create embossing shims. The embossing shim can then be used to emboss film or paper. The embossed film/paper can be metalized and laminated onto a substrate to create a product that has shifting patterns at a variety of viewing angles when exposed to white light.

Abstract: A variety of deep structured decorative patterns originate with mechanical relief or etching. The present method incorporates a deeply patterned or textured etching or relief into a thin film embossing shim to simulate the look of the deep pattern or texture when used to emboss thin film or material. A transparent mold of the relief surface (such as brushed metal, engine-turned patterns, and textured glass) is formed using UV curable liquid and a transparent substrate. The relief copy in the transparent mold or overlay is mapped onto a photoresist surface or plate by shining or expanding one or more laser lights or laser beams through the transparent mold. The different heights of the relief copy of the transparent mold will cause the light to diffract/refract to form a corresponding patterned etching in the photoresist plate. The resulting photoresist plate is then metalized and electroplated to form a thin film embossing shim.