The process for the manufacturing of a supporting surface for furnishing accessories, in particular for tables and tops for kitchens and/or bathrooms, comprises the phases of: I providing a raw slab (2) made of raw ceramic material; II firing the raw slab (2) to obtain a fired slab (5); III modeling the fired slab (5) to obtain a shaped slab (6) comprising an exposed surface (8) and a lateral surface (9) transverse to the exposed surface (8); IV decorating the shaped slab (6) with ceramic pigments (12) to obtain a decorated slab (13) which is decorated on said lateral surface (9); V firing the decorated slab (13) and the ceramic pigments (12) to obtain a supporting surface (1) for furnishing accessories.

A color three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a data acquisition unit configured to acquire data on a 3D object as input data, a data creation unit configured to create first data regarding shapes of layers obtained by dividing the 3D object into multiple layers and second data regarding a surface color of the 3D object from the input data, a three-dimensional shaping unit configured to three-dimensionally shape the 3D object, based on the first data, a conveyance unit configured to convey a three-dimensional shaped object three-dimensionally shaped by the three-dimensional shaping unit, and a coloring unit configured to impart the surface color to the three-dimensional shaped object conveyed by the conveyance unit, based on the second data.

A color three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a data acquisition unit configured to acquire data on a 3D object as input data, a data creation unit configured to create first data regarding shapes of layers obtained by dividing the 3D object into multiple layers and second data regarding a surface color of the 3D object from the input data, a three-dimensional shaping unit configured to three-dimensionally shape the 3D object, based on the first data, a conveyance unit configured to convey a three-dimensional shaped object three-dimensionally shaped by the three-dimensional shaping unit, and a coloring unit configured to impart the surface color to the three-dimensional shaped object conveyed by the conveyance unit, based on the second data.

An electrode catalyst ink composition which includes metal oxide-based electrode catalyst particles, an electrolyte, and a mixed liquid medium, wherein the mixed liquid medium contains 40 to 85% by mass of water; 5 to 30% by mass of an aqueous solvent (A) that has an evaporation rate of 2.0 or lower when the evaporation rate of water at 25 C. is 1, and a solubility parameter (SP value) of not less than 9; and 10 to 30% by mass of a monoalcohol (B) that has an evaporation rate of higher than 2.0 when the evaporation rate of water at 25 C. is 1, and not more than 3 carbon atoms, provided that the total amount of the mixed liquid medium is 100% by mass.

Activator applying device including a receiving pan that stores an activator for activation of a transfer film, and a spreading roller that rotates while being dipped in the activator in the receiving pan and applies the activator that has adhered to the surface thereof in a dip section of the activator applying device to the transfer pattern in a different section of the activator applying device. The activator is fed to the receiving pan in an amount greater than the amount of the activator applied to the transfer pattern, and an excessive activator is discharged through a discharge port of the receiving pan. The activator is applied to the transfer pattern with the discharge port being located on the side where the activator is drawn up from the dip section, and the discharge port being located at the position of a streak caused by uneven dispersion of the additive pigment.

Activator applying device including a receiving pan that stores an activator for activation of a transfer film, and a spreading roller that rotates while being dipped in the activator in the receiving pan and applies the activator that has adhered to the surface thereof in a dip section of the activator applying device to the transfer pattern in a different section of the activator applying device. The activator is fed to the receiving pan in an amount greater than the amount of the activator applied to the transfer pattern, and an excessive activator is discharged through a discharge port of the receiving pan. The activator is applied to the transfer pattern with the discharge port being located on the side where the activator is drawn up from the dip section, and the discharge port being located at the position of a streak caused by uneven dispersion of the additive pigment.

An article having a patterned metallic film on a surface thereof, and methods of producing such an article, the article including: (a) a porous substrate having a first porous surface; (b) a patterned metallic film attached to the first porous surface, including (i) a first patterned polymeric layer attached to the first porous surface; and (ii) a patterned metallic layer attached to the first patterned polymeric layer, on a distal side with respect to the first porous surface; wherein a thickness of the metal layer is at most 3 ?m.

A method conceals optical defects in surfaces. The method includes: obtaining a digital image by a digital optical recording the optical defect and a surrounding surface; obtaining an imitation of the surface in a region of the at least one optical defect by image processing of the digital image; printing a mirror-inverted, true-to-scale representation of the surface imitation onto a transfer film; soaking the transfer film; applying an activator onto a the transfer film or onto the surface; aligning the transfer film onto the surface so that the surface imitation on the transfer film coincides with the optical defect on the surface; pressing the transfer film onto the surface; peeling the transfer film from the surface; pressing on the ink remaining on the surface; and after complete drying of the activator and of the ink: applying a protective layer onto the surface imitation.

Described herein is decorative article having a coefficient of friction less than 0.3 wherein the decorative articles comprises: (i) a microsphere layer comprising a plurality of microspheres, wherein the microsphere layer comprises a monolayer of microspheres and wherein the plurality of microspheres are in a microscopic periodic pattern; and (ii) a bead bonding layer disposed on the microsphere layer, wherein the plurality of microspheres are partially embedded in the bead bonding layer. Also disclosed herein are transfer articles and methods of making the decorative articles and transfer articles.

The present invention relates to a decal for producing a decoration, comprising a non-leafing pigment layer and a first protective layer, characterized in that the decal is designed so that the non-leafing pigment layer can be applied closer to a substrate that the first protective layer. Furthermore, the present invention describes a method for producing the decal as well as its use.