Digital Graphics Technology and Porcelain Stoneware

Digital Graphics Technology and Porcelain Stoneware

Ardogres innovation in the world of roofing

In last years, the ceramic industry has faced a real technological revolution that has transformed Porcelain Stoneware into the material most appreciated by architects and designers, because it is able to meet the different technical, aesthetic and design requirements, as well as economic and sustainable.

This revolution specifically concerns the method of decoration and colouring on the surface of tiles for walls, floors and roofs: compared to the past, it is now possible to use the high definition ink-jet technology (HDT) used on paper thanks to the digital printing process on ceramics surfaces.

The substantial difference between the traditional method and digital printing is that the second method does not make use of contact decoration technology but of inkjet, which is applied directly onto the surface to build up the image. In this way, a digital control of the printed subject takes place in real time, which is reproduced with excellent resolution and perfect realism.

The advantages of this production process are also considerable in terms of flexibility and customisation, as with this type of printing it is possible to reproduce and modify any subject with photorealistic resolution, even and especially on structured stone-effect surfaces. This also brings concrete advantages in terms of energy savings: thanks to the strong rationalisation of the production process, waste and wastage are reduced to a minimum, as are the printing times themselves.

Thanks to digital printing, porcelain stoneware becomes part of interior and outdoor design, as well as a functional and covering element. A faithful reproduction of any natural effect to satisfy all aesthetic requirements: ink-jet printing can faithfully reproduce the natural knots of wood and shingles, the material contaminations of stone and slate and the realistic veining of marble.

Ardogres presented new products that make the most of the potential of this technology:

• RED CEDAR ARAVIS 25X40
• OLD CEDAR 25X40
• ST. MICHEL 25X40 and 40X40
• MORZINE 25X40 and 40X40
• OSTUNI WHITE 40X40

The first two represent the range of Canadian cedar shingles made of Porcelain Stoneware with high-definition digital graphics (HDT).