We live in a world that can print an M on a small candy, print tens of thousands of devices on a bit of epoxy, and make geared watches with gears (wheels) with pitches measured in microns - and has been doing this in the case of watches for nearly 200 years, and in the case of electronics for well over 60 years. Then, consider the printing technology required for paper money.

So, printing stripes and other markings on devices the size of even an 1/8-watt resistors would be a simple issue.

I would posit a rotating intaglio printer as a relatively simple device with very prices application ability and little slop. And although the print heads would wear, they would have very nearly infinite life as compared to a brush or roller. This is the purest speculation, of course.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA