Swell by Light (TEI ’25)

March 7, 2025April 6, 2025
project
by nhowell8

Swell by Light: An Approachable Technique for Freeform Raised Textures

white paper with raised texture of pattern of leaf and stems

Swell by Light is a flexible, approachable method for creating freeform raised textures on paper and other materials.

The process of adding raised textures to paper: One side of the paper has printed dark pattern on light-colored paper. The reverse side of the paper has a thinly spread layer of paste that swells in response to heat. When the paper is heated by a strong light, the darker pattern regions of paper absorb heat and swell, creating a raised texture.

We developed an algorithm to optimize the print pattern, so that the swollen raised texture most closely follows the desired printed pattern. To compensate for the way heat dissipates, the algorithm makes thinner lines of the pattern darker so they will swell enough, and makes larger block areas of the pattern lighter so that they do not swell too much.

A red origami crane with raised textures on the wings and body

An origami crane embellished with raised textures on wings and body.

raised white texture of wood grain on blue denim

Denim with wood grain texture.

This pictorial presents Swell by Light, a novel, approachable method for 2.5D texture fabrication using off-the-shelf materials and tools. Visible light on paper with a dark printed pattern applies localized heat to the paper, causing the corresponding pattern to swell on the paper’s backside where a heat-expanding paste is thinly spread. To improve the accuracy of swell patterns, we developed a print pattern optimization algorithm using thermal simulation. We share results of design parameter tests to offer guidelines for Swell by Light. We demonstrate exemplars showcasing a broad range of expressive capabilities of Swell by Light, including childrens’ tactile picture books, tangible elevation maps, touch and pressure sensors, scented braille, and textured origami. Overall, Swell by Light expands possibilities for expressive and interactive designs with paper.

Publications

Sosuke Ichihashi, Noura Howell, HyunJoo Oh. 2025. Swell by Light: An Approachable Technique for Freeform Raised Textures. Tangible, Embedded, and Embodied Interaction.