Method of forming an image with photographic likeness on chocolate and product thereof

A method of reproducing in chocolate a selected image from a fulltone photograph with photographic likeness, comprising the steps of:

• forming on film a halftone image of the selected image located on the photograph,
• optically scanning the film,
• laser etching the selected halftone image on the film in a surface of a plate in response to the optical scanning of the film by means of a laser, such that peaks and valleys are created in the surface of the plate corresponding to the selected image,
• casting a deformable transfer blanket against the surface of the etched plate to record in a surface of the transfer blanket peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image,
• removing the cast transfer blanket from the surface of the etched plate,
• casting a chocolate material against the surface of the transfer blanket to record the selected image by peaks and valleys in a surface of the chocolate, and
• removing the cast chocolate material from the transfer blanket.

A method of reproducing in chocolate a selected image from a continuous tone image, comprising the steps of:

• optically scanning the continuous tone image,
• laser etching the selected image in a surface of a plate by means of a laser in response to said optical scanning such that peaks and valleys are created in the surface of the plate corresponding to the selected image,
• casting a chocolate material against the surface of the etched plate to record in a surface of the transfer blanket peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image,
• removing the cast transfer blanket from the surface of the etched plate,
• casting a chocolate material against the surface of the transfer blanket to record the selected image by peaks and valleys in a surface of the chocolate,
• removing the cast chocolate material from the transfer blanket, and
• placing an edible developer that contrasts in color with the cast chocolate in the valleys formed in the chocolate with the chocolate peaks protruding above the developer to render the selected image formed in the chocolate visible with photographic likeness.

A process of forming in chocolate a desired image with photographic likeness from a fulltone photograph having the desired image, comprising the steps of:

• developing a halftone image of the desired image on a transparent material from the fulltone photograph;
• forming a photorelief image of the developed half-tone image in a surface of a photosensitive element such that peaks and valleys are created in the photosensitive element surface corresponding to the desired image;
• casting a casting material on the photosensitive element to form a deformable transfer blanket with a surface having peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image;
• removing said formed transfer blanket from said photosensitive element;
• pouring a chocolate material on the surface of the transfer blanket;
• permitting the chocolate material to harden on the surface of the transfer blanket;
• removing the hardened chocolate material from the blanket such that a surface of the chocolate material has peaks and valleys corresponding to the desired image;
• and
• placing an edible developer on the surface of the hardened chocolate with the chocolate peaks protruding above the developer and said developer contrasting in color with the surface of the hardened chocolate to render the selected image formed in the chocolate visible in the chocolate product.

A process of forming in chocolate a desired image with photographic likeness from a fulltone photograph having the desired image, comprising the steps of:

• developing a halftone image of a desired image on a transparent material from the fulltone photograph;
• forming a photorelief image of the developed half-tone image in a surface of a photosensitive element such that peaks and valleys are created in the photosensitive element surface corresponding to the desired image;
• casting a casting material onto the photosensitive element to form a deformable transfer blanket with a surface having peaks and valleys corresponding to the selected image;
• removing said formed transfer blanket from said photosensitive element;
• and
• casting a chocolate material onto the surface of the transfer blanket to record the selected image by peaks and valleys in a surface of the chocolate.