Shaped nonwovens that exhibit high visual resolution
A nonwoven fabric is disclosed. The nonwoven fabric can include a first surface and a second surface and at least a first visually discernible zone of three-dimensional features on one of the first or second surface. Each of the three-dimensional features can define a microzone comprising a first region and a second region. The first and second regions can have a difference in values for an intensive property, and the first visually discernible zone can exhibit a high visual resolution.
1. A nonwoven fabric comprising a first surface and a second surface, and at least a first visually discernible zone on at least one of the first surface and the second surface, the first visually discernable zone having a pattern of three-dimensional features, each of the three-dimensional features defining a microzone comprising a first region and a second region, the first and second regions having a difference in values for an intensive property, wherein the intensive property is thickness, basis weight, or volumetric density;
wherein the first visually discernable zone has a Haralick Maximum Mean Contrast Value of between about 80 and about 750, according to a Haralick Maximum Contrast Test Method, wherein the Haralick Maximum Mean Contrast Value of the first visually discernable zone is a maximum mean value of arithmetic mean contrast values calculated for contrast values measured at each of a plurality of integer pixel distances in each of a 0 degree, 45 degree, 90 degree, and 135 degree direction using a symmetric gray level co-occurrence matrix with 256 gray levels;
wherein the first visually discernable zone has a Haralick Maximum 90° contrast Value of between about 90 and about 600, as measured according to a Haralick Maximum Contrast Test Method, wherein the Haralick Maximum 90° contrast Value of the first visually discernable zone is a maximum contrast value of contrast values calculated for a plurality of integer pixel distances measured in a 90° direction using a symmetric gray level co-occurrence matrix with 256 gray levels.
2. The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the intensive property is basis weight.
3. The nonwoven fabric of claim 1 , wherein the intensive property is volumetric density.
4. An absorbent article comprising the nonwoven fabric of claim 1 .
5. The absorbent article of claim 4 , wherein the nonwoven fabric is a topsheet.
6. The absorbent article of claim 4 , wherein the nonwoven fabric is an outer cover.
7. A nonwoven fabric comprising a first surface and a second surface, and at least a first visually discernible zone on at least one of the first surface and the second surface, the first visually discernable zone having a pattern of three-dimensional features, each of the three-dimensional features defining a microzone comprising a first region and a second region, the first and second regions having a difference in values for an intensive property, wherein the intensive property is one or more of:
a. thickness,
b. basis weight, and
c. volumetric density;
wherein the first visually discernable zone has a Haralick Maximum 0° contrast Value of between about 80 and about 750, as measured according to a Haralick Maximum Contrast Test Method, wherein the Haralick Maximum 0° contrast Value of the first visually discernable zone is a maximum contrast value of contrast values calculated for a plurality of integer pixel distances measured in a 0° direction using a symmetric gray level co-occurrence matrix with 256 gray levels; and
wherein the first visually discernable zone has a Gray Level Variation of between 0.1 and about 7.0, according to the Intra-Article Grey Level Variation Test Method, wherein a standard deviation of an arithmetic mean gray level value measured in each of 16 regions of a 4×4 grid of a calibrated and blurred gray level image of the first visually discernible zone is the Gray Level Variation.
8. The nonwoven fabric of claim 7 , wherein the Haralick Maximum 0° contrast Value is between about 100 and about 600.
9. The nonwoven fabric of claim 7 , wherein the Haralick Maximum 0° contrast Value is greater than 80.
10. The nonwoven fabric of claim 7 , wherein the intensive property is basis weight.
11. The nonwoven fabric of claim 7 , wherein the intensive property is volumetric density.
12. An absorbent article comprising the nonwoven fabric of claim 7 .
13. A nonwoven fabric comprising a first surface and a second surface, and at least a first visually discernible zone on at least one of the first surface and the second surface, the first visually discernable zone having a pattern of three-dimensional features, each of the three-dimensional features defining a microzone comprising a first region and a second region, the first and second regions having a difference in values for an intensive property, wherein the intensive property is one or more of:
a. thickness,
b. basis weight, and
c. volumetric density;
wherein at least one of the microzones has a Gray Level Contrast Slope of between 11.0 to about 23.9, as measured according to the Gray Level Contrast Test Method; wherein the Gray Level Contrast Slope is calculated by dividing (i) an absolute value difference between arithmetic mean gray level values of first and second circular and contiguous regions of interest of equal size within respective first and second regions of a calibrated and blurred grey level image of the first visually discernible zone by (ii) a linear distance between centers of the first and second circular and contiguous regions of interest;
wherein the first visually discernable zone has a Haralick Maximum 90° contrast Value of between about 90 and about 600, as measured according to a Haralick Maximum Contrast Test Method, wherein the Haralick Maximum 90° contrast Value of the first visually discernable zone is a maximum contrast value of contrast values calculated for a plurality of integer pixel distances measured in a 90° direction using a symmetric gray level co-occurrence matrix with 256 gray levels.
14. The nonwoven fabric of claim 13 , wherein the intensive property is basis weight.
15. The nonwoven fabric of claim 13 , wherein the intensive property is volumetric density or thickness.
16. An absorbent article comprising the nonwoven fabric of claim 13 .
17. The absorbent article of claim 16 , wherein the nonwoven fabric is a topsheet.
18. The absorbent article of claim 16 , wherein the nonwoven fabric is an outer cover.
19. A nonwoven fabric comprising a first surface and a second surface, and at least a first visually discernible zone and a second visually discernible zone on at least one of the first surface and the second surface, the first visually discernable zone having a pattern of three-dimensional features, each of the three-dimensional features defining a microzone comprising a first region and a second region, the first and second regions having a difference in values for an intensive property, wherein the intensive property is thickness, basis weight, or volumetric density;
wherein the first and second visually discernable zones have a Haralick Maximum 0° contrast Value of between about 80 and about 750, as measured according to a Haralick Maximum Contrast Test Method, wherein the Haralick Maximum 0° contrast Value of the first visually discernable zone is a maximum contrast value of contrast values calculated for a plurality of integer pixel distances measured in a 0° direction using a symmetric gray level co-occurrence matrix with 256 gray levels; and
wherein at least one of the microzones has a Gray Level Contrast Slope of between 11.0 to about 23.9, as measured according to the Gray Level Contrast Test Method; wherein the Gray Level Contrast Slope is calculated by dividing (i) an absolute value difference between arithmetic mean gray level values of first and second circular and contiguous regions of interest of equal size within respective first and second regions of a calibrated and blurred grey level image of the first visually discernible zone by (ii) a linear distance between centers of the first and second circular and contiguous regions of interest.
20. The nonwoven fabric of claim 19 , wherein the Haralick Maximum 0° contrast Value is between about 100 and about 600.