# Canon Develops Material Appearance Image-Processing Technology



## Canon Rumors Guy (Sep 8, 2015)

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<strong>TOKYO, September 8, 2015</strong>—Canon Inc. announced today that it has developed material appearance image-processing technology that, through the acquisition of material appearance information using digital cameras, enables printing that faithfully recreates such material appearance characteristics as gloss, plasticity and transparency, qualities that change in appearance depending on the orientation of lighting or the angle from which an object is viewed.</p>
<p>Material appearance characteristics are those qualities that determine an object’s look and feel, such as gloss, plasticity, surface contours and transparency. The acquisition of this information, such as surface contours and reflectance, in addition to color data, is essential for reproducing an object’s texture in photographs and other forms of printout.</p>
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<p>Canon’s newly developed material appearance image-processing technology makes use of multiple Canon digital cameras, which are used to capture images of the target object, facilitating the digitization of such material appearance information as subtle surface contours and gloss. The digitized material appearance information is then used to faithfully reproduce the material appearance properties of the original object using a (UV-curable*) printing technology that is optimally controlled in accordance with its print characteristics.</p>
<p>Capitalizing on Canon’s expertise in image input and output devices, material appearance image-processing technology makes possible not only the high-definition representation of color characteristics, but also the printing of various material appearance qualities, such as those of metal, cloth and other materials. Additionally, as the technology is capable of faithfully recreating the material appearance characteristics of the original target object, it can be used to reproduce historically significant oil paintings and other valuable cultural properties. The creation of such reproductions could allow viewers to experience new ways of art appreciation by feeling the reproduced artwork, while enabling the original artwork to be preserved under optimal storage conditions.</p>
<p>In addition to the high-resolution photo printing technologies the Company has cultivated to date, Canon will further strengthen the development of this technology with the aim of expanding its application in such areas as wallpaper and other interior-use materials, advertising signage and product packaging.</p>
<ul>
<li>An inkjet printing technology that uses UV-curable inks, which instantly dry and adhere to surfaces when exposed to ultraviolet light. UV-curable inks have a hard finish and are highly resistant to water and direct sunlight.</li>
</ul>
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## PureClassA (Sep 8, 2015)

The porno industry is gonna make a fortune with this tech


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## GuyF (Sep 8, 2015)

Bloody clever, if you ask me.

Now, does anyone want to buy my Van Gogh? Guaranteed to be 100% genuine copy. Only £20m.


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## kubelik (Sep 8, 2015)

I'm sure this is pretty cool technology, but the press release makes it sound like an April Fools Day joke ... what sort of printer are they using that it can alter the reflectivity, gloss, and plasticity of each dot on the printed surface? how do you need to light the surface being photographed so that you're rendering the actual material quality of the object and not including photometric hotspots? either they're grossly overstating the capabilities of something meant to be used in very, very limited scenarios, or they're properly stating the intended capabilities of something that is going to deliver very, very underwhelming results


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## chauncey (Sep 8, 2015)

I don't have a clue what this means...if you can explain it, talk slow 'cause I am.


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## zim (Sep 8, 2015)

chauncey said:


> I don't have a clue what this means...if you can explain it, talk slow 'cause I am.



;D beat me to it, I was going to say......... and now in English please


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## Cali Capture (Sep 8, 2015)

simple guys, Light chromatography & mass spectrometry. Kinda like how Astronomers determine what distance heavenly bodies are made of and what their surfaces are. Perhaps Canon is thinking of a 3D printing scenario to replicate actual surface texture. It could ba as basic as sloting into a predetermined list of surface code, and walaala, here's your orange peel surface.

See Canon is working on a great Astro Lens, it I'll let you print the surfaces of distant planets!


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## rfdesigner (Sep 8, 2015)

holy cow!... this is something worth producing.

Capturing transparency is the key.

If for no more than the art reproduction industry. We have a copy of Vermere's "The Lacemaker" on the wall, and despite being about as good as I could get, and being a 1:1 reproduction, it's quite obvious it's a print (apart form the fact the real one's in the Lourve).. a very very good print, but it doesn't "glow" like an oil painting does.

I'm pretty sure there's a whole load of people prepared to pay many times what we pay today for prints to get reproductions that really capture the magic of the genuine paintings.

Add this to a 120Mpix camera and the art world are going to love it.


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## TeT (Sep 8, 2015)

rfdesigner said:


> holy cow!... this is something worth producing.
> 
> Capturing transparency is the key.
> 
> ...



I think maybe the art world is gonna gripe a little first... not all but enough to be heard.


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## 300D (Sep 8, 2015)

Does anyone know how many stops of tactile range this technology has?

Just asking!


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## TeT (Sep 8, 2015)

It has been awhile since I had a top of the line scanner, but I am thinking that this printing tech will match up better with a scanner v a camera...


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## RunAndGun (Sep 9, 2015)

I'm betting capture will be a combination of multiple camera angles and probably some type of scanning(laser, etc.). It won't be as simple as pop of a pic with your cell phone camera from one angle.


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## LDS (Sep 9, 2015)

rfdesigner said:


> Add this to a 120Mpix camera and the art world are going to love it.



I guess painters making reproductions won't love this much, if it's cheap enoough...


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## Vivid Color (Sep 9, 2015)

LDS said:


> rfdesigner said:
> 
> 
> > Add this to a 120Mpix camera and the art world are going to love it.
> ...



People used to copy books by hand.


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## chauncey (Sep 9, 2015)

The last time that I ran my hand over a print, it had no texture...not like on a painting.
The concept is somewhat valueless, until...3-D photographic printing is developed.


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## LetTheRightLensIn (Sep 9, 2015)

Pretty wild!


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