An eco-friendly way of “growing” metal for circuitry or antennas has been developed by UK firm QinetiQ.

The metal printing technique replaces conventional copper etching by using a special ink that attracts metals.

It means antennas for tiny mobiles or RFID tags could be made cheaply, quickly, and environmentally friendly, unlike traditional acid etching procedures.

The metal printing technique could also be used to help miniaturize devices. Mobile antennas could be printed into the casing of the phone, for example.

Or special wallpaper could be printed that could covertly block radio frequencies, such as mobile phone or WiFi (wireless broadband) signals for RF security.