A method may be provided for manufacturing coated panels of the type including at least a substrate and a top layer with a motif. The top layer may be provided on the substrate. The method may involve providing a synthetic material layer on the substrate. A relief may be provided on the surface of said synthetic material layer provided on the substrate. The relief may include a pattern of recesses. The pattern may be at least partially determined by at least one print that is applied by inkjet printing. The relief may be obtained by printing a mask directly on or in the synthetic material layer. After providing the mask, the synthetic material layer may be cured. The mask may provide for selective curing of the synthetic material layer, such that the synthetic material layer is not solidified or solidified at a lesser extent in correspondence of the mask. The not solidified or less solidified portions of the synthetic material layer may be removed by performing a material-removing treatment on the synthetic material layer thereby obtaining the relief.

A method may be provided for manufacturing coated panels of the type including at least a substrate and a top layer with a motif. The top layer may be provided on the substrate. The method may involve providing a synthetic material layer on the substrate. A relief may be provided on the surface of said synthetic material layer provided on the substrate. The relief may include a pattern of recesses. The pattern may be at least partially determined by at least one print that is applied by inkjet printing. The relief may be obtained by printing a mask directly on or in the synthetic material layer. After providing the mask, the synthetic material layer may be cured. The mask may provide for selective curing of the synthetic material layer, such that the synthetic material layer is not solidified or solidified at a lesser extent in correspondence of the mask. The not solidified or less solidified portions of the synthetic material layer may be removed by performing a material-removing treatment on the synthetic material layer thereby obtaining the relief.

An article comprising natural stone and method for forming the article are provided. A counter-relief is formed at a back of the natural stone. A light-transmitting reinforcing material is bonded to the back of the natural stone at the counter-relief to reinforce the natural stone at the counter-relief. A front of the natural stone is carved to form a relief at the front. The relief is positioned opposite to the counter-relief. The thickness of the natural stone between the relief and the counter-relief is reduced by the carving to allow light to transmit through the natural stone from the back to the front to illuminate the relief.

Systems, methods, and devices for producing appliances for expansion of the palate of a patient are provided. A palate expanding orthodontic appliance comprises a teeth engagement portion comprising a plurality of teeth engagement structures and a force generating portion coupled to the teeth engagement portion and configured to apply force to cause the patient's palate to expand. The orthodontic appliances can be designed according to the specifications provided herein and manufactured using direct fabrication methods.

An article comprising natural stone and method for forming the article are provided. A counter-relief is formed at a back of the natural stone. A light-transmitting reinforcing material is bonded to the back of the natural stone at the counter-relief to reinforce the natural stone at the counter-relief. A front of the natural stone is carved to form a relief at the front. The relief is positioned opposite to the counter-relief. The thickness of the natural stone between the relief and the counter-relief is reduced by the carving to allow light to transmit through the natural stone from the back to the front to illuminate the relief.

A decorative member according the present disclosure includes: a wooden veneer having a plurality of through-holes which transmit light from a back face side to a front face side; a transparent reinforcing layer laminated to a back face side of the veneer; and a coating layer which is laminated to a front face side of the veneer and fills interiors of the plurality of through-holes.

Embodiments enhance graphic capabilities in projected-capacitive (PCAP) touch sensitive systems, and more specifically to a border component of a PCAP touchscreen. Embodiments include a method and an apparatus for a PCAP touchscreen layered structure. Some embodiments include screen printing a border component on a cover sheet, curing the border component, ablating a pattern on the border component, and screen printing one colored ink onto the pattern on the border component. In some embodiments the border layer is black, and the colored ink is coupled to a cover sheet. The pattern causes the colored ink to appear as a continuous gradient of the colored ink. In some embodiments the border component includes two or more border-layer components. At least one of the border-layer components may include an ablated pattern. Each ablated pattern may be coupled to a different colored ink.

A veneer for a wall-mounted keypad may include indicia that are laser cut therethrough and that are representative of functions that may be performed by the keypad. The veneer may include a recess that extends into an inner surface of the veneer, proximate to the indicia. The recess may be shaped such that a perceived aesthetic of an outer surface of the veneer is preserved during formation of the indicia. The recess may for example have an organic shape defined by a curved outer perimeter that does not define any corners.

A veneer for a wall-mounted keypad may include indicia that are laser cut therethrough and that are representative of functions that may be performed by the keypad. The veneer may include a recess that extends into an inner surface of the veneer, proximate to the indicia. The recess may be shaped such that a perceived aesthetic of an outer surface of the veneer is preserved during formation of the indicia. The recess may for example have an organic shape defined by a curved outer perimeter that does not define any corners.

A system and method of creating a decorative component having multiple surface finishes includes providing a substrate with a metal surface layer and treating the metal surface layer to remove oxidation, and applying a coating or paint layer over at least a portion of the treated metal surface layer. The paint layer is removed via laser ablation to define a metal-paint interface. The metal-paint interface created by laser ablation applied to paint over treated metal is free from adhesion failure. The workpiece created includes multiple surfaces having complex shapes and features, and may be applied to a variety of surfaces. Multiple surface finishes are therefore created on a single part without the need for assembly of separate parts, with a robust interface between contrasting surface appearances.