Stone such as marble and granite are used for many purposes including counter tops, door sills, decorative inlays and the like. For many applications, the natural colors and random patterns are desired for aesthetic reasons.
In some applications, it is desired to impregnate the natural stone with a design or image. Such applications include decorative replacements for stained glass and photographic images in monuments, etc. Prior attempts at such have produced limited results with superficial images that wear with time.
Some prior art includes methods of printing on stone. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,662 to Schmidt shows how to print on a coating on the stone. Unfortunately, the coating covers the stone and detracts from the aesthetic appeal of the stone and the coating can separate from the stone.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,569,277 to Gibbs shows how to transfer an image onto the surface of a material including a leaf and stone. Unfortunately, placing the image on the surface results in an image that is easily scratched.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,686,315 to Creed has a method of making a building material that simulates the look of marble or granite that may include lettering, etc. This method uses a coated substrate as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,662 and, therefore, does not present natural stone to the viewer.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,108,890 to Horne, et al, also requires a coating or matrix to be applied to the stone before introducing the image and, therefore, does not present natural stone to the viewer.
What is needed is a method of impregnating a stone material with an image that will augment the natural beauty of the stone with an indelible image.