Currently, almost all high-end mobile phones on the market use Gorilla Glass for their screens. This is because they are the most resistant and highest quality. Well, Corning has now announced a new Vibrant Gorilla Glass, a customizable glass on which you can print anything from a company logo to a high-resolution photograph.
Corning Vibrant Gorilla Glass
The new Vibrant Gorilla Glass is characterized by being a glass on which you can print a color imageThis could be similar to a high-resolution photograph, for example, or a specific pattern, like the one found on the back of the Xiaomi Redmi 3. Until now, the available Gorilla Glass was transparent, which still offered manufacturers some customization options, allowing them to select the phone's appearance based on the design of the plate beneath the glass. The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S7, for instance, change the phone's color. However, Samsung could have been more original and given this plate a more innovative design. In any case, this might no longer be necessary, as the glass itself will now be printed with the design.
The key to this advance lies in a proprietary inkjet process on Gorilla Glass which allows for the display of multiple colors, gradients, logos and photographic quality images to a sharpness close to that obtained on paper. All this without compromising the characteristic resistance from the Gorilla Glass family, so the glass maintains its durability against scratches and impacts.
Compared to conventional screen printing methods, Corning claims that this technology offers shorter processing times and generates less wasteFurthermore, the workflow is scalable enough to enable both mass customization (multiple versions of the same model) as well as series of single unit per customer without drastic efficiency penalties.
Another relevant piece of information for manufacturers is that the process is positioned as cost neutral compared to previous techniques for printing monochrome logos on glass, making it easier to take color and detail to new levels without blowing the budget.
A customizable mobile
This expands the possibilities for manufacturers and even for users. First, manufacturers will have more design options to make mobile phones more innovative. Secondly, there might even be a manufacturer that offers users a customization service While we assume this would be significantly more expensive, producing a single personalized unit with a photograph would be possible. However, it might be feasible to launch 5 or 6 different designs and give users a choice.
Functionally, printing is not designed for the front displaybut for back covers and external glass panels. This fits with the trend of phones with glass backs where color and texture take center stage, and opens the door to limited editions, collaborations with artists, or much more carefully crafted corporate identities.
Beyond smartphones, the customization of Gorilla Glass is valuable in sectors such as home and building automation (wall screens and controls), medical devices, industrial equipment and even products in the field militaryIn all these cases, printing the glass with markings, color codes, or iconography improves the user experience and reinforces the brand image without losing robustness.
Corning complements printing with advanced manufacturing capabilities: high-precision cuttingmachining of holes, and edge finishes These processes enhance ergonomics and integration with metal or polymer chassis. This set of processes allows for the creation of complex surfaces, curved edges, and precise fits for camera modules or sensors.
For the end user, the advantages are tangible: designs that stand the test of time, stable colors that don't flake off like some paints, and the peace of mind of knowing that aesthetics don't compromise protection. And from a sustainability perspective, the reduction in waste compared to traditional methods supports strategies of more responsible manufacturing.
- typical applications: logos, gradient patterns, interface color codes, and photographs.
- Areas of use: mobiles, wearables, tablets, laptops and consumer and professional touch panels.
- Key benefits: Gorilla Glass durability, color customization, efficiency and neutral cost.
Mobile phones don't always have to have the same design in just one color; now they can have more colors and more patterns and designs, and it's very likely we'll soon see phones with bolder proposals that combine premium materials with real and lasting customization on the glass itself.
