| abstract |
The human body is decorated with highly detailed, multicolored, personalized designs using inkjet or similar printing technology. The designs are applied to the epidermal and upper dermal skin layers and last for at least several weeks. The decoration is produced by a print head comprising an array of inkjet nozzles, which spray biocompatible inks or dyes onto the skin. The print head and nozzle array may be large enough to cover the entire design area, or the print head can be connected to a scanning mechanism to scan in one, two, or three directions. The decorations can be applied to highly contoured skin surfaces. A computer stores the desired design and controls the firing of nozzles to produce the desired decoration or tattoo. |