ABSTRACT Printing manufacturing technology is driving the advancement of printed curved electronics in applications such as smart wearables, electronic skin, and soft robotics through its customized pattern design and multi‐process compatibility. However, significant manufacturing challenges remain in robustly and efficiently adapting printed circuits to arbitrary curvatures and deformable surfaces to produce curved electronics. To systematically address this, we propose a gradient map starting from the conforming difficulty of printed curved electronics that can be categorized into three surface types: static single surfaces, static multiple surfaces, and dynamic surfaces, by considering geometric and mechanical features. Then, we analyze how key printing strategies, including multi‐axis direct writing, pre‐printing on planar substrates followed by conforming steps, and template‐confined microfluidics, can be tailored to meet specific conformality requirements across various geometries. Based on this classification, we comprehensively evaluate the compatibility, advantages, and limitations of these manufacturing approaches, providing quantitative comparisons of key performance parameters such as resolution, conductivity, printing speed, and manufacturing cost. Furthermore, we summarized these analyses into an actionable printing selection guide that maps the most suitable printing strategy for each surface type. Finally, we provide a clear roadmap for printed curved electronics, exploring key challenges and interdisciplinary opportunities within the field.
Zhong et al. (Fri,) studied this question.