Technique to Create a Printing Plate with an FDM 3D Printer using PLA Resin Mixed with Xylem and Elastomer

Abstract

This paper describes the technique to create a printing plate (Hanga-ban) with an FDM 3D printer. As a material for printing plates, PLA resin mixed with 30% of xylem fibers and elastomer filament were used. Three kinds of inks: water-based pigment-based ink, oil-based paint-based ink, and Versacraft ink: were used. From the experiments, it was cleared that the former two kinds of ink do not produce good quality of prints because the inks are repelled on the printing plate, but good prints are possible with versacraft ink. Both printing plates made of PLA resin mixed with of xylem fibers and elastomer filaments produce enough quality of image, however elastomer filament produced better one. The images engraved on the printing plate were generated from a full-color image by adaptive binarization processing. The image quality of the printed image depends on the threshold and block size in the adaptive binarization, and those of optimal ones were determined by experiments. From the experiments, it was clarified that good quality prints can be printed with an FDM 3D printer by choosing appropriate binarizing parameters and creating a printing plate with an elastomer filament.