3D Surface Director combines Metis’ Surf 3D ColorGate Edition scanning technology with software from ColorGate that enables users to easily edit and model the acquired surface description data.

The camera-based scanner can capture colour, depth information and reflectance of materials such as wood, leather, stone, textile, wallpaper and fine art, in under 30 seconds.

It then generates a colour-accurate, high-resolution image, including embossing data and a reflectivity map that represents the surface’s reflection properties.

The included DPS 3D Surface Director software turns the Metis Scanner into a colourmeter for colour characterisation.

With options including a Linearisation Assistant and a Profiling Suite, the platform also features ColorGate’s new Out-of-Gamut module, which highlights areas that are out of the gamut of the chosen printing workflow.

While the acquired surface data could be used to print large products such as textured furniture, the system is also targeted at manufacturers of short-run and lower volume surface products that want to digitally produce textured phone cases or other lifestyle items on their existing UV flatbed or hybrid printers.

ColorGate chief executive and founder Thomas Kirschner said: “Customers that we serve today are producers in the woodworking industry – companies that produce industrial scale surface products like flooring and laminates.

“But we’ve also identified this interesting market that creates surfaces at lower output but higher value, like luxury phone covers that look like leather but are printed by UV. If they are equipped with the right data, this is what UV printers can do in a multi-layer mode or multi-pass layer mode.”

Commercial availability for the system will start in summer, with shipping expected to begin around September.

Pricing starts from €50,000 (£44,000), which includes the scanner, and the software with one year’s support and maintenance.

Fixed 24-month and 36-month software support and maintenance subscriptions are also available, as is an option to automatically renew the subscription after 12 months.

ColorGate is also showing its Adobe PDF Print Engine based RIP software families, Productionserver, Filmgate and Proofgate, at Fespa, as well as its Industrial Productionserver range for ceramic, decor, packaging and textile applications. The company is exhibiting at stand 1.1-A40 at Messe Berlin until Friday (18 May).