Patent ID: 8801887

Claim:
A method of forming a laminate having a textured surface, wherein the laminate consists of: a first film having a first major surface; a texture pattern deposited on the first major surface of the first film, the texture pattern comprising an ink having a first thickness and deposited by a digital printing process; and a conformable film applied over the texture pattern and deformed around the texture pattern to form the textured surface comprising raised surface portions and lower surface portions of a major surface of the conformable film, the method comprising: providing the first film having the first major surface; depositing the texture pattern comprising the ink having the first thickness on the first major surface of the first film using the digital printing process; applying the conformable film over the texture pattern; subjecting the conformable film to a temperature and pressure sufficient to cause the conformable film to deform around the texture pattern to form the textured surface comprising the raised surface portions and the lower surface portions of the major surface of the conformable film; and bonding the laminate to an aircraft panel by deforming the conformable film around the texture pattern a second time to form the textured surface.