I am looking for a commercial printer that can put an image into the
space of a pin head.  The media has to be paper thin. Please respond
with contact information, website and ballpark price.  I am interested
in creating 10-20 individual prints.

---

Request for Question Clarification by duncan2-ga on 22 Jan 2003 10:00 PST

Can you please clarify what type of image you desire at that size?  Is
it a color photograph?  Black and White?  Text only?  Is that 10-20
prints of the same image, or 10-20 different images?  (It's likely
that cost will go down per/print if you're duplicating the same
image).

Thanks,
duncan2-ga

---

Clarification of Question by ernorubaiyat-ga on 23 Jan 2003 12:43 PST

At a minimum B&W(like a bitmap) is okay, although a greyscale(256
shades) is better than B&W. I realize that color is a 3-4 step
process. The images would be on the order of photographs. And 10-20
different images.  For reference: if I want  to put a 40pixel x
40pixel greyscale image into that space(or as close as possible).

hope this helps

You would require a continuous tone process for the project you
describe, although digital processes are quickly approaching what you
describe (but you would have to provide the resolution requirements). 
The US Military developed a process of continuous tone lithography in
the 60's, but I know of nobody doing it commercially.  They did this
to print surveillance photos in a form that the catalog would be
managable, yet magnified images would provide resolution.

There are photosensitive emulsions available which can be applied to
any surface, and optically imaged before processing.

Gregg