Paperless billboard technology for the advertising industry
Printed advertisements and digital displays are visually effective, but not very eco-friendly. To address this issue, the EU-funded SPABRINK (Self-printing advertisement board with reusable ink) project produced an outdoor media tool that offers the same visual impact as paper-based billboards by eliminating the use of single-use posters and adhesives. The solution works like a printer using coloured powder deposited through a piezoelectric ceramic printing head onto an electrostatic surface. The adhesion force can be precisely manipulated so the powder can be easily removed. Because of the kind of material used for displaying images, colours are achieved through a custom-developed colour scheme. The system incorporates a web-based user-friendly interface enabling live content monitoring through a built-in camera. Work began with a market survey, an in-depth component search and requirement analysis in order to define system requirements. Several pulverisable materials were tested before selecting one that provides appropriate electrostatic, dielectric and magnetic properties, printing head compatibility and colour range. A deposition system was adapted to the selected polymer, and optimal printing nozzle parameters were defined. Beta printing head prototypes were built and tested. Following extensive research, development and testing, project partners designed and fabricated a full-size printing surface. They designed a complete control system together with image processing software that converts colour and resizes images. A large-scale prototype with a surface area of two square metres was developed and tested in a real outdoor setting. The image quality was measured against existing technologies and found to be satisfactory. SPABRINK developed an innovative and environmentally friendly technology that reduces paper waste and minimises the release of toxic glues and paints into the environment. The patent was already submitted for the technology by SME partners SIARQ (ESP) and INDEX (HU). Since the end of the project, there are ongoing negotiations with big media outdoor players to further develop the prototype and to have a final product. Watch the project’s video here.
Keywords
Advertising, outdoor media, SPABRINK, self-printing advertisement board, reusable ink
