Mega graphics project in Markthal Rotterdam

The new Markthal in Rotterdam has a very special ceiling which hides some very interesting graphics technology. The colourful image with larger than life fruits, vegetables, meats, breads and butterflies – designed by Dutch artist Arno Coenen – consists of 4000 aluminium panels printed by TS Visuals. For a good reproduction the resolution had to be comparable to that of a high quality printed magazine. The image used was 1,47TB (400,000 megapixels). The 4000 panels of 1,5×1,5 metres each cover a 6 kilometres (11,000 m2) of unique images.
TS Visuals used a process called sublimation, applying visuals to coated metal or glass. The ink of the printed design is heated to such high temperatures that it turns into a gas and penetrates the coated aluminum panel. It transfers and then forms a durable permanent layer inside the coating. The panels and coatings are graffiti-resistant. The result is a beautiful ceiling which already has been compared to the Sistine Chapel.