It is known to arrange an image in or on a plastic plate by making use of a printing process with a printing press. For this purpose an image can for instance first be printed in paper by the printing press, which paper is then joined to one or more plastic plates.

The object of the invention is to provide a method which offers the option of dispensing with the use of a printing press.

In this respect the invention provides a method for arranging an image on a plate of a thermoplastic plastic, which method comprises the following steps, to be performed in suitable sequence, of:

(1) providing a plate of thermoplastic plastic, on at least one side of which an ink-absorbing layer is present; (2) providing an ink-jet printer;

(3) arranging in the ink reservoirs of this ink-jet printer an ink which is suitable for processing by the ink- jet printer and for absorption by the ink-absorbing layer;

(4) arranging the image with the ink-jet printer in inverted or mirror-image form on an intermediate layer, for example siliconized paper; and

(5) joining together under pressure the intermediate layer obtained by step (4) and the plate provided according to step (1) such that the image is taken over by the ink- absorbing layer.

It is noted emphatically that the said ink-absorbing layer does not have to be a separate layer but can for instance be formed integrally with the plate of thermoplasti plastic. The thermoplastic plastic may for instance itself b capable of absorbing the ink coming from the ink-jet printer

In such a case the ink-absorbing layer cannot strictly speaking be designated as such.

The said step (5) can take place in particular by making use of a rolling station, wherein after being placed

in register the layers for joining together are carried through the rollers while pressure is applied and, insofar as necessary, the temperature increased.

If desired, the method can further comprise the step o (6) arranging after step (5) a transparent covering layer, consisting for instance of a thermoplastic plastic, over the ink-absorbing layer. Such a transparent covering layer can have the advantage that the image, which may sometimes be vulnerable in certain conditions, is protected from outside influence.

The said known method provides only limited possi¬ bilities of arranging relief in the end product. In the known method the occurrence of openings in the image, particularly in zones with quite small radius of curvature, can in that case not be prevented, whereby the desired closed structure is lost. This has a very adverse effect on the appearance of the finally obtained product.

A profiled or three-dimensional form which is con¬ siderably improved compared to the prior art is obtained with a method according to the invention which has the additional step of

(7) arranging a relief, for instance by thermo-forming or deep-drawing, in the plate obtained after step (5) such that a three-dimensional form is obtained. Finally, the invention also relates to a product obtained with one of the described methods.

The image quality of the invention is greatly improved relative to the prior art. The obtained products can serve an artistic purpose or be construction parts.

*****