Check out this amazing coffee printer! Now you can have your favorite message printed on your morning cup of coffee. I need one of these with ‘Wake Up!’ printed on mine.
This fun coffee printer was made by Oleksiy Pikalo and combines a x-y flatbed plotter and a few other bits.
Long time ago, I saw a great video about Latte Art, and figured that I absolutely must build a machine capable of printing the most beautiful art on top of my latte. So I bought a used x-y flatbed plotter (Philips 8155) on eBay and a great book by Matt Gilliland, titled Inkjet Applications. I put the two together, to get this nice Latte Art Printing Machine. Here is a brief video my friend Mike took (sorry for poor quality, off-topic discussions, and amused laughter of my friends):
Check out the video of this coffee printer in action.
The Inspiration Behind the Coffee Printer
The idea of creating a coffee printer stemmed from the fascinating world of Latte Art, which has been captivating coffee enthusiasts for years. Latte Art involves creating intricate designs on the surface of a latte, typically using steamed milk. This art form requires a high level of skill and precision, often taking baristas years to master. Oleksiy Pikalo, inspired by this art form, decided to leverage technology to make it accessible to everyone, regardless of their artistic abilities.
By combining a used x-y flatbed plotter with the principles outlined in Matt Gilliland’s book “Inkjet Applications,” Pikalo was able to create a machine that could replicate the beauty of Latte Art with the push of a button. This innovation not only democratizes the art form but also opens up new possibilities for personalization in the coffee experience.
How the Coffee Printer Works
The coffee printer operates by using a modified inkjet printing mechanism to deposit edible ink onto the surface of the coffee. The x-y flatbed plotter provides the necessary precision to ensure that the designs are accurate and aesthetically pleasing. The process begins with the user selecting a design or message they want to be printed on their coffee. This design is then fed into the printer’s software, which translates it into a series of coordinates that the plotter can follow.
The printer uses edible ink, which is safe for consumption and comes in various colors to create vibrant designs. The ink is carefully deposited onto the foam of the latte, ensuring that the design remains intact and does not bleed into the coffee. This meticulous process results in stunning, high-quality prints that can feature anything from simple messages to complex images.
The potential applications of this technology are vast. Coffee shops can use it to offer personalized drinks to their customers, adding a unique touch to their service. It can also be used for special occasions, such as printing birthday messages or holiday-themed designs on lattes. The coffee printer can even be a fun addition to home kitchens, allowing coffee lovers to experiment with their creativity every morning.
The coffee printer by Oleksiy Pikalo is a remarkable innovation that brings the art of Latte Art into the digital age. By combining traditional coffee-making techniques with modern technology, Pikalo has created a device that offers endless possibilities for personalization and creativity. Whether you’re a coffee shop owner looking to enhance your customer experience or a coffee enthusiast wanting to add a personal touch to your morning routine, the coffee printer is a must-have gadget.
via Dvice and .
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