First there was the highly touted Landa Nanography and now, via Science Daily, new research from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research’s (A*STAR) Institute of Materials Research and Engineering that has developed a new imaging process that can boost resolution as high as 100,000 dots per inch (dpi)—without using inks or dyes. The inspiration was a rather old “imaging technology”: stained glass. Stained glass comprises small particles of metal mixed into the glass that scatter light as it passes through the glass, providing the color.

Using a similar concept with the help of modern nanotechnology tools, the researchers precisely patterned metal nanostructures, and designed the surface to reflect the light to achieve the colour images.

Rather than use colored dyes or pigments, the researchers used metal nanoscale disks, precisely placed, spaced, and oriented to interact with light and thus “produce” a given color. The researchers compiled a database of disk orientations and the resulting color.

“Similar to a child’s ‘colouring-by-numbers’ image, the sizes and positions of these nanostructures defined the ‘numbers.’ But instead of sequentially colouring each area with a different ink, an ultrathin and uniform metal film was deposited across the entire image causing the ‘encoded’ colours to appear all at once, almost like magic!” added Dr Joel Yang [the project leader].

Furthermore:

This novel breakthrough allows colouring to be treated not as an inking matter but as a lithographic matter, which can potentially revolutionise the way images are printed and be further developed for use in high-resolution reflective colour displays as well as high density optical data storage.

The researchers are currently seeking collaborators as well as exploring technology licensing options. The research was published on August 12 in the online journal Nature Nanotechnology.