Futuristic Paper Reflects Light Like 3D Objects and Might Just Save Printed Media

When you shine a light on a photo from different angles, nothing happens to the image. But what if the shadows on it could change as if it were a real, three-dimensional object? That day is closer than you think.

HP, 3M, and UC Santa Cruz have been collaborating on a truly remarkable project. The researchers are creating a new kind of paper with specular micro-geometry. We can print onto those tiny shapes to control the way the light reflects from different angles. The result is…a photo would reflect light the same way as the object would in real life.