Thanks to the ubiquity of iPads and smartphones, most people’s first response to any new product now is to swipe across it or click it. AR Metallizing is bringing that type of interactivity to paper, transforming paper and cardboard creations into touch pads.
The metallized-and-holographic-substrate maker is drawing on recent Harvard University research, which has developed a paper to make this idea a reality. According to the company, “After a straightforward laser etching, followed by connection with cheap electronic interfaces, the paper can be used to detect consumers’ ‘touch’ like a smart phone’s touch pad.”
Unlike glass surfaces or thick films, this paper can be easily glued onto any product like a label, and can be folded, laminated, and even formed into 3D shapes without negative effects to the “touch pad.” And since it’s paper, the sheet is recyclable.
Testing has shown that each paper can be touched more than 2,000 times before losing its functionality – plenty of opportunities to deliver different messages or effects on the printed piece.
