General Electric has created a machine that “prints” lights onto sheets of special film. It coats an 8 inch wide plastic film with chemicals then seals the film with a layer of metal foil. An electric current is passed through and the sheet lights up with a soft blue-white glow. These lit sheets can then be applied like wallpaper to provide lighting for rooms, although there would still be a need for an eletrical outlet.

Calling them organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs, GE believes these sheets could be the used as light sources in the future although it isn’t cost effective for the average consumer right now. The “light paper” could be wrapped around pillars, applied as blinds, or even have a translucent version applied on windows, to provide a gentle glow after dark. GE believes there are lots of ideas to be done with this technology and will begin to introduce them to the public in 2010.