Seamless sleeve and seamless substrate

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.

MULTI-AXIS DIFFRACTION GRATING

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. 1. A method of making an enhanced optical interference pattern for an embossing shim , the method comprising:directing at least three light beams from a coherent light source onto a photodefinable surface;mapping the optical interference pattern onto the photodefinable surface by interference of the at least three beams; andproducing the embossing shim from the photodefinable surface.2. The method of wherein the optical interference pattern is a diffraction cross-grating produced by one exposure to the at least three beams.3. The method of wherein the photodefinable surface is a plastic film.4. The method of wherein the photodefinable surface is a photoresist surface.5. The method of wherein the at least three light beams create at least three low energy spots on the photodefinable surface.6. The method of wherein the photodefinable surface is electroplated to form a metal master shim.7. The method of wherein the metal master shim is nickel-plated for use as an embossing shim.8. The method of wherein the at least three beams are configured to focus in an area ranging from approximately 25 microns to ...

Seamless sleeve and seamless substrate

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 fiat web, foil, or film of, for example, paper, polyester, polypropylene, metal or other elongated Oat 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.

Seamless sleeve and seamless substrate

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 fiat web, foil, or film of, for example, paper, polyester, polypropylene, metal or other elongated Oat 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.

Seamless sleeve