Software and lasers are used in finishing apparel to produce a desired wear pattern or other design. A technique includes determining a fabric's response to a laser, capturing an initial image of a wear pattern on a garment, and processing the initial image to obtain a working image in grayscale. The working image is further processed to obtain a difference image by comparing each pixel relative to a dark reference. The difference image is converted to a laser values image by using the previously determined fabric response to the laser.

A greeting card having a housing of metal or a metal alloy that defines an interior void and an electronic ink display screen, a Bluetooth adapter or dongle comprising Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology within the interior void and operatively configured to communicate with the display screen, a non-transitory memory storage device, and another electronic component within the interior void. The Bluetooth adapter or dongle is configured to receive from an external electronic device a first communication of information describing an initial message to be displayed, and to receive, subsequent in time to receipt of the initial message, a second real time communication of information describing a second message. The non-transitory memory storage device has pre-loaded executable instructions to display the first communication on the display screen, to change or modify the initial message based on the second real-time communication, and to display the second message on the display screen.

A structure that forms a visual representation may include a first outer layer, a second outer layer, and an interlayer being disposed between the first outer layer and the second outer layer. The interlayer may have a first side adjacent to the first outer layer and a second side adjacent to the second outer layer. The interlayer includes a plurality of cuts extending from the first side of the interlayer towards the second side of the interlayer. Each of the plurality of cuts may have an angle with respect to a plane formed by a surface of the first side of the interlayer. Each angle for at least a portion of the plurality of cuts is based on one or more pixel values of at least one image that forms the basis of the visual representation.

Systems and methods described for embossing micro-scale features are provided. On various substrates. Micro-scaled features can contain nanometer to micrometer structural features. Various embodiments may relate to methods and systems that may allow substrates, non-limiting examples of which may include metals such as silver, copper, tin, gold, or the like, to be embossed to diffract light into various colors that can be refracted at various perspective angles. High-quality grooves can be machined down to the sub-micron or nanometer regime to generate embossment moulds for fast, single-step, repeated (e.g. in the order of tens to thousands) replication of gratings on bulk metallic substrates using a same embossing die without significant loss of embossing quality.

A timepiece dial including a base having a first region having a coating film provided at the surface of the base, a second region where laser light is radiated to the first region to remove the coating film, and a third region, in part of the first region, where the coating film is penetrated and the base is dug down, and the surface roughness of the third region is smaller than the surface roughness of the second region.

Boldface printing having a sufficient line width is more easily implemented as compared with the related art. A laser marking apparatus includes a laser light output section, a laser light scanning section, a storage section, and a marking control section. The marking control section scans UV laser light along an outer scanning line farther from a center line of a line element of a character corresponding to print data for boldface than an inner scanning line prior to the inner scanning line closer to the center line for scanning lines adjacent to each other in a direction in which the line element of the character becomes thick among a plurality of the scanning lines forming the print data for boldface.

Various flexible heat sealable decorative articles and methods of making the same are described. The flexible heat sealable decorative articles are lightweight and can be combined with other decorative elements, such as metalized films. Various decorative are mixed or combined with one another to form highly attractive flexible heat sealable decorative articles.

Single integrated transparent gemstones and methods for constructing single integrated transparent gemstones. The single integrated transparent gemstone includes a first transparent gemstone, a copyright protected element, and a second transparent gemstone. The first transparent gemstone includes a first internal side. The copyright protected element is etched on the first internal side. The copyright protected element is owned by a third party. The second transparent gemstone includes a second internal side. The second transparent gemstone is fused together with the first transparent gemstone. The second internal side is aligned with the first internal side such that the copyright protected element does not extend beyond a perimeter of the second internal side.

A process for producing an interior trim part (1) with a decorative layer situated on a first side (S1) thereof and forming a decorative pattern (M) for the interior of a motor vehicle, the process comprising the following steps: (a) formation of at least one cutout configuration (R), defined by a predetermined decorative pattern (M), in a protective layer (120) situated on a first side (S1), which is situated on a first surface (110a) of the shell-shaped base body (110) made of a metallic material, (b) deposition of sinterable decorative material on the first side (S1) in such a way that the decorative material, as an intermediate layer (150), covers at least the area in which the cutout configuration (R) defined by the decorative pattern (M) is formed in the protective layer (120), (c) laser-sintering of the intermediate layer (150) inside the at least one cutout configuration defined by the decorative pattern (M), (d) removal of the sinterable decorative material that is situated outside the at least one cutout configuration defined by the decorative pattern (M),
as well as an interior trim part (1).

Systems, methods, and devices for producing appliances for expansion of the arch of a patient are provided. An arch expanding appliance comprises a force generating portion to apply an arch expansion force and a retention portion to hold the force generating portion on the teeth. The retention portion comprises a flexible portion and a stiff portion. The force generating portion applies a force to move teeth associated with the flexible portion, while the stiff portion resists movement of its associated teeth. The orthodontic appliances can be designed according to the specifications provided herein and manufactured using direct fabrication methods.