Skin-Screen: A Computational Fabrication Framework for Color Tattoos

Abstract

Tattoos are a highly popular medium, with both artistic and medical applications. Although the mechanical process of tattoo application has evolved historically, the results are reliant on the artisanal skill of the artist. This can be especially challenging for some skin tones, or in cases where artists lack experience. We provide the first systematic overview of tattooing as a computational fabrication technique. We built an automated tattooing rig and a recipe for the creation of silicone sheets mimicking realistic skin tones, which allowed us to create an accurate model predicting tattoo appearance. This enables several exciting applications including tattoo previewing, color retargeting, novel ink spectra optimization, color-accurate prosthetics, and more.