Into the fold: Printer transforms paper into 3D

Milan – Ecole Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne (ECAL) product design student Christophe Guberan presented Hydro-fold at the Salon Satellite at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile last week. The theme this year was Design–Technology.

Hydro-Fold is a modified inkjet printer that prints a grid onto paper that, once the ink dries, causes the paper to contort into a 3D form. The printer, which uses a mix of ink and Swiss water developed by Guberan, is connected to a computer that generates a range of different fold formations.

‘I saw this new process applied in packaging design and manufacture, and it widens the possibilities of humble paper,’ Guberan tells LS:N Global.

For more innovative examples of packaging design see our Playful Packaging microtrend.