A Japanese printing company has developed a technology that gives plastic materials a metallic feel.
Metal Face technology regulates the amount of light that passes through plastic materials, allowing characters to appear on smartphones, smart watches, and other products with a metallic appearance.
Gikodo Co., headquartered in Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, has about 40 employees and started developing the printing technology three years ago.
When the company showed prototypes of metal panels at a trade show in Osaka in May this year, major electronics manufacturers showed great interest.
"We believe this technology can be applied not only to smartphones, but also to smart home appliances and car dashboards," said Takuya Sato, head of Gicardo's sales department.