Printing formulations and methods

A method for patterning a surface, the method comprising:

• patterning at least one transparent pre-coat formulation on a region of said surface to form pattered regions of said transparent pre-coat formulation, wherein at least two of said patterned regions differing from each other in at least one of a chemical property and a physical property, said at least one chemical or physical property differing between at least two of said patterned regions is selected from the group consisting of at least one of composition, degree of curing, viscosity, tackiness, surface tension, chemical reactivity, and pH;
• applying at least one patterning formulation onto said pattered regions, said at least one patterning formulation being in interaction with the transparent pre-coat layer, the interaction between the patterning formulation and the transparent pre-coat formulation being determined by said chemical or physical property, such that the patterning formulation being (i) at least partially embedded within said transparent pre-coat formulation, or (ii) maintained on top of the transparent pre-coat formulation;
• and
• exposing the surface to conditions permitting curing of the at least one pre-coat formulation and the at least one patterning formulation, thereby obtaining a patterned surface.

A method for patterning a surface, the method comprising:

• forming onto at least a portion of the surface a layer of at least one transparent pre-coat formulation, the layer having gradual variability of at least one chemical property or physical property along a defined linear direction, said at least one chemical or physical property being at least one of composition, degree of curing, viscosity, tackiness, surface structure, surface tension, chemical reactivity, and pH;
• applying at least one patterning formulation onto said layer, wherein the at least one patterning formulation interacts with the transparent pre-coat formulation, the interaction between the patterning formulation and the transparent pre-coat formulation being determined by said at least one chemical property or physical property, such that (i) the patterning formulation is at least partially embedded within said layer, or (ii) the patterning formulation is maintained on top of the transparent pre-coat formulation without substantial sinking or embedding of the patterning formulation into said layer;
• and
• exposing the surface to conditions permitting curing of the transparent pre-coat formulation and the at least one patterning formulation, thereby obtaining a patterned surface.