The Impact of Substrate Color on Feature Resolution in 3d Inkjet Printing

3D inkjet printing is an additive manufacturing technology that generates 3D objects layer by layer by printing thousands of droplets. The process involves multiple sub-processes, such as printing and curing which requires a close process control in order to achieve high accuracy. Specifically, the curing of the printed layer has been shown to influence feature resolution, as curing settings determine the coalescence behavior between adjacent droplets. The objective of this study is to investigate whether the color of the substrate significantly affects feature resolution. A transparent UV-sensitive ink is used to print a 3D object consisting of multiple thin walls with 3 different UV intensities (50%, 75% and 90%) on a substrate with 3 different colors (black, white and metallic). This study confirms that the substrate color has a considerably effect on the feature resolution as the UV-radiation transmit through the transparent layer. In the case of white and metallic color, the reflected UV-radiation cures the printed layer additionally and improves the feature resolution.