Structurally coloured materials that change their colour in response to mechanical stimuli are uniquely suited for optical sensing and visual communication^1,2,3,4. The main barrier to their widespread adoption is a lack of manufacturing techniques that offer spatial control of the materials’ nanoscale structures across macroscale areas. Here, by adapting Lippmann photography⁵, we report an approach for producing large-area, structurally coloured sheets with a rich and easily controlled design space of colour patterns, spectral properties, angular scattering characteristics and responses to mechanical stimuli. Relying on just a digital projector and commercially available photosensitive elastomers, our approach is fast, scalable, affordable and relevant for a wide range of manufacturing settings. We also demonstrate prototypes for mechanosensitive healthcare materials and colorimetric strain and stress sensing for human–computer interaction and robotics.

响应机械刺激而改变颜色的结构彩色材料非常适合光学传感和视觉通信^1,2,3,4。它们被广泛采用的主要障碍是缺乏制造技术，这些技术可以在宏观区域内对材料的纳米级结构进行空间控制。在这里，通过改编李普曼摄影⁵，我们报告了一种生产大面积结构彩色片材的方法，该片材具有丰富且易于控制的颜色图案、光谱特性、角散射特性和对机械刺激的响应的设计空间。仅依靠数字投影仪和市售的光敏弹性体，我们的方法快速、可扩展、经济实惠且适用于广泛的制造环境。我们还展示了用于人机交互和机器人技术的机械敏感医疗保健材料和色度应变和应力传感的原型。