LED tech has really transformed the world in a big way. We’re talking ultra low power lighting in everything from bicycle lamps, to aircraft and cruise liners. It’s great because it’s small, flexible (you can embed it on strips and curve it any way you want) and it’s cheap compared to more exotic technology.

This new LightPaper LED lighting takes things to a whole new level though. The company bills it as the world’s thinnest LED lighting, and it’s hard to argue with that, judging by the photos. They seem to have developed a way to print light onto paper thin strips, which means it can be used in places where you wouldn’t otherwise be able to use light at all. They do this by mixing diodes with the ink, and then applying it to the material.

All you’ve got to do is attach a suitable battery. Although the site is rather coy about the uses for the technology, we’re guessing that things like health tech and try to imagine a world where you could actual print out a lampshade which was its own light, no need for a bulb. Crazy!

The material is still in final development, but it should be more commonly available by the end of next year.