Printed matter, method for manufacturing printed matter, program, and printing device

Abstract

A variety of design patterns are appropriately represented by a printed matter. A printed matter (52) in which a plurality of ink layers are superimposed is provided with an image layer (202) and a transmittance control layer (204), and the transmittance control layer (204) has a low-transmittance region (302) and a high-transmittance region (306), whereby light is transmitted through the printed matter (52) in such a manner that: for an observer who observes the image layer (202) from the observation surface side, the transmittance control layer (204) has a low-transmittance region (302) and a high-transmittance region (306); by irradiating the rear surface light, an observer can visually recognize a pattern corresponding to the shape of the highly transmissive region (306) from the observation surface side, and the pattern corresponding to the shape of the highly transmissive region (306) is made insignificant without irradiating the rear surface light.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printed matter, a method and program for manufacturing the printed matter, and a printing device. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, methods for printing printed materials of various structures are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a first shielding printed layer and a second shielding printed layer are formed between a first pattern printed layer and a second pattern printed layer.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-45835 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In printed matter, it is sometimes desired to express various designs. In addition, in such cases, in order to express designs that are difficult to express in conventional printed matter, it is desired to use a printed matter with a new structure. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a printed matter, a method for producing a printed matter, a program, and a printing device that can solve the above-mentioned problem.

[0008] Solutions for solving problems

[0009] The inventor of the present application has conducted in-depth research on methods for expressing various design patterns through printed materials. Furthermore, it has been found that by forming ink layers with different transmittances depending on the position, it is possible to achieve expressions such as watermark patterns. In addition, through further research, the characteristics required to achieve such an effect have been discovered, which has led to the present invention.

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is a printed matter, which is a printed matter with multiple ink layers stacked on top of each other, characterized in that it comprises: an image layer, which is the ink layer obtained by drawing an image observed from a specified observation surface side with ink; and a transmittance adjustment layer, which is the ink layer formed on the side opposite to the observation surface side relative to the image layer, wherein the transmittance adjustment layer has a low transmittance area and a high transmittance area, the transmittance of light in the high transmittance area is higher than the transmittance of light in the low transmittance area, and when the printed matter is irradiated with light irradiated from the side opposite to the observation surface side, i.e., back light, the transmittance adjustment layer allows light to pass through the printed matter in a manner that allows an observer observing the image layer from the observation surface side to visually recognize a pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance area, and when the back light is not irradiated, the transmittance adjustment layer allows light to pass through the printed matter in a manner that makes the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance area less noticeable.

[0011] In the case of such a configuration, the appearance of the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance area in the transmittance adjustment layer can be changed according to whether the back light is irradiated. Therefore, if it is configured in this way, it is possible to appropriately achieve the expression such as the watermark pattern in the printed matter. In addition, based on this, various design patterns can be appropriately expressed by the printed matter. In addition, in this case, it is also possible to appropriately express the design pattern in the printed matter in a manner that does not make the ink layer in the printed matter too much.

[0012] In this structure, as a medium, for example, a light-transmitting medium such as a transparent film can be preferably used. In addition, the image layer is, for example, a layer in which an image is drawn with color ink. It can also be considered that the image layer is a layer in which an image observed from a predetermined observation surface side, i.e., an observation image, is drawn with ink. In addition, it can be considered that irradiating the back light means substantially irradiating the back light. It can be considered that not irradiating the back light means substantially not irradiating the back light. In addition, it can be considered that making a pattern corresponding to the shape of a high-transmittance area inconspicuous without irradiating the back light means substantially making the pattern inconspicuous according to the accuracy of the design pattern to be expressed by the printed matter, etc.

[0013] In addition, in this structure, for example, a transmittance adjustment layer is formed using light-reflective ink. As the light-reflective ink, for example, white ink is considered to be used. In addition, in this case, for the transmittance adjustment layer, it is considered to make the transmittance of the low-transmission area different from the transmittance of the high-transmission area by making the amount of light-reflective ink per unit area in the high-transmission area less than the amount of light-reflective ink per unit area in the low-transmission area. If it is constructed like this, the transmittance adjustment layer can be appropriately formed. In addition, in this case, it is also considered to make the transmittance adjustment layer function as the background of the image layer by forming the transmittance adjustment layer using light-reflective ink. In this case, it can be considered that the transmittance adjustment layer also serves as a light-reflective layer.

[0014] In addition, when a transmittance adjustment layer is formed as described above using a light-reflective ink, for example, if the transmittance adjustment layer is formed using only the light-reflective ink, the amount of the light-reflective ink per unit area will differ depending on the position, and thus unexpected concavities and convexities may be generated in the transmittance adjustment layer. In addition, in this case, when an image layer is formed on top of the transmittance adjustment layer, the image layer is affected by the concavities and convexities, and for example, even when the back light is not irradiated, the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance area may be prominent due to the shadows generated by the concavities and convexities. In contrast, for example, it is also considered to form the transmittance adjustment layer using a transparent ink, which is a colorless and light-transmitting ink. In this case, it is considered to form the transmittance adjustment layer in such a way that the amount of the transparent ink per unit area in the high transmittance area is greater than the amount of the transparent ink per unit area in the low transmittance area. If it is configured in this way, it is possible to make it difficult for concavities and convexities to be generated in the transmittance adjustment layer and the image layer. In addition, it is possible to appropriately prevent the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance area from becoming prominent due to the shadows generated by the concavities and convexities. In addition, in this case, it is preferred to set the amount of transparent ink in the high transmission area and the low transmission area in a manner that compensates for the difference in the amount of light-reflective ink. If it is constructed in this way, it is possible to more appropriately prevent unexpected bumps from being generated in the transmittance adjustment layer and the image layer. In addition, as such a transmittance adjustment layer, it is preferred to form a layer with a fixed thickness. If it is constructed in this way, it is possible to more appropriately prevent unexpected bumps from being generated in the transmittance adjustment layer. It can be considered that the fixed thickness of the layer means that the thickness is substantially fixed according to the accuracy of the design pattern to be expressed by the printed matter. In addition, it can also be considered that the fixed thickness of the layer means the fixed thickness in design.

[0015] In addition, it is also possible to intentionally form the above-mentioned unevenness in the transmittance adjustment layer or the image layer according to the design pattern to be expressed by the printed material. In addition, when the image layer is first formed on the medium and the transmittance adjustment layer is formed on the image layer, even if unevenness is generated in the transmittance adjustment layer, it may not be a big problem. Therefore, in these cases, it is also possible to form the transmittance adjustment layer in a manner that does not use clear ink.

[0016] In addition, in the case where a more diverse impression is desired to be expressed through a printed matter, it is also considered to distinguish the difference in transmittance of the transmittance adjustment layer according to the position in more levels. In this case, the transmittance adjustment layer also has a medium transmittance region, which is a region where the transmittance of light is higher than the transmittance of light in the low transmittance region and the transmittance of light is lower than the transmittance of light in the high transmittance region. The medium transmittance region is formed by making the amount of light-reflective ink per unit area greater than the amount of light-reflective ink per unit area in the high transmittance region and less than the amount of light-reflective ink per unit area in the low transmittance region. In this case, the transmittance adjustment layer allows light to pass through the printed matter in a manner that allows the observer to visually recognize not only the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance region but also the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium transmittance region when irradiated with relatively strong back light, and allows light to pass through the printed matter in a manner that allows the observer to visually recognize the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance region when irradiated with relatively weak back light. If it is constructed like this, it is possible to appropriately express more diverse design patterns in the printed matter.

[0017] In addition, in the printed matter configured as described above, for example, the transmittance of the pattern may differ depending on the color of the image layer. In this case, it is considered that the transmittance of the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium transmittance area set to the intermediate transmittance is easily affected by the color of the image layer. Therefore, it is also considered to adjust the transmittance of the medium transmittance area according to the color of the image layer. In addition, in this case, the amount of light-reflective ink in each part of the medium transmittance area is made different according to the color of the position corresponding to these parts in the image layer. If it is configured like this, the transmittance of the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium transmittance area can be appropriately adjusted. In addition, in this case, it is considered to set the amount of light-reflective ink per unit area in the low transmittance area and the high transmittance area to a pre-set amount for each area regardless of the color colored in the image layer. In addition, according to the structure of the printed matter, the characteristics of the ink used, etc., it is also considered to adjust the transmittance of the high transmittance area according to the color of the image layer. In this case, the amount of light-reflective ink in each part of the high transmittance area is made different according to the color of the position corresponding to these parts in the image layer. If configured in this way, the transmittance of the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high-transmittance region can be appropriately adjusted. In this case, the amount of light-reflective ink per unit area in the low-transmittance region is considered to be a predetermined amount regardless of the color colored in the image layer.

[0018] In addition, it is also considered that a plurality of image layers are used in a printed material to express a design pattern or the like. In this case, the printed material includes: a first image layer, which overlaps with the transmittance adjusting layer on one side of the transmittance adjusting layer in the thickness direction of the transmittance adjusting layer; and a second image layer, which overlaps with the transmittance adjusting layer on the other side of the transmittance adjusting layer in the thickness direction of the transmittance adjusting layer. In the case of such a printed material, the observation surface side for the first image layer and the observation surface side for the second image layer can be considered separately. In addition, it can be considered that the transmittance adjusting layer is formed on the side opposite to the observation surface side corresponding to the first image layer with respect to the first image layer, and is formed on the side opposite to the observation surface side corresponding to the second image layer with respect to the second image layer. In the case of such a configuration, the image seen by the observer can be changed in various ways according to the difference in observation direction such as which side of the printed material is observed from and which side of the printed material is brighter. In addition, based on this, more diverse design patterns can be appropriately expressed.

[0019] In addition, in this structure, the printed matter may also have a light reflecting layer formed by light reflecting ink in addition to the transmittance adjusting layer. In this case, the transmittance adjusting layer overlaps with the image layer in a manner of sandwiching the light reflecting layer. In the case of such a structure, it is also possible to appropriately express various design patterns through the printed matter of the structure that does not become too complicated. In addition, in this case, as the transmittance adjusting layer, it is considered to use a layer formed by light absorbing ink. As the light absorbing ink, it is considered to use achromatic and light absorbing ink. As such a light absorbing ink, for example, black ink is considered. In addition, in this case, by making the amount of light absorbing ink per unit area in the high transmittance area less than the amount of light absorbing ink per unit area in the low transmittance area, the transmittance of the low transmittance area is made different from the transmittance of the high transmittance area. In the case of such a structure, it is also possible to appropriately form a transmittance adjusting layer.

[0020] In addition, in the case where the transmittance adjustment layer is formed using light-absorbing ink, the transmittance adjustment layer may also have a medium transmittance region. In this case, the medium transmittance region is formed by making the amount of light-absorbing ink per unit area greater than the amount of light-absorbing ink per unit area in the high transmittance region and less than the amount of light-absorbing ink per unit area in the low transmittance region. In addition, when the transmittance adjustment layer is irradiated with relatively strong back light, the light is transmitted through the printed matter in a manner that enables the observer to visually recognize not only the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance region but also the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium transmittance region, and when the transmittance adjustment layer is irradiated with relatively weak back light, the light is transmitted through the printed matter in a manner that makes the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium transmittance region inconspicuous and enables the observer to visually recognize the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance region. In the case of such a configuration, more diverse design patterns can also be appropriately expressed in the printed matter.

[0021] In addition, as a structure of the present invention, it is also considered to use a method for manufacturing a printed matter having the same characteristics as above, a program, and a printing device, etc. In this case, it can be considered that the method for manufacturing a printed matter is a method for manufacturing a printed matter of the above structure, etc. The program can be considered to be a program that causes a computer to perform a process for generating printing data for controlling the printing action of the printing device, etc. As such a process, it is considered to cause a computer to perform an image layer data generation process and a transmittance adjustment layer data generation process, etc. The image layer data generation process can be considered to be a process for generating data representing an image layer, etc. The transmittance adjustment layer data generation process can be considered to be a process for generating data representing a transmittance adjustment layer, etc. In addition, in this case, in the image layer data generation process, data representing an image layer is generated based on image data representing an observed image. In the transmittance adjustment layer data generation process, data representing a transmittance adjustment layer is generated based on image data representing a transmission image, which is an image in a printed matter that can be seen through according to a specified condition. In addition, it can be considered that the printing device is a device that prints the printed matter of the above structure. In this case, the printing device includes a printing head and a control unit, etc.

[0022] Effects of the Invention

[0023] According to the present invention, various designs can be appropriately expressed by printed materials. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a printing system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 (a) shows an example of the configuration of the printing system 10 . Figure 1 (b) shows an example of the configuration of the printing device 12 in the printing system 10 . Figure 1 (c) shows an example of the structure of the head 102 in the printing device 12.

[0025] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of the printed matter 52 . Figure 2 (a) shows an example of the structure of the printed matter 52. Figure 2 (b) shows an example of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204 in the printed matter 52. Figure 2 (c) shows an example of the transmission mode of light to the transmittance control layer 204.

[0026] Figure 3 1 is a diagram showing an example of a design pattern expressed in a printed matter 52 . Figure 3 (a) shows an example of the structure of the image layer 202 and the transmittance control layer 204 in the printed matter 52. Figure 3 (b) shows an example of a design pattern expressed by a printed matter 52.

[0027] Figure 4 These are diagrams for explaining various modified examples of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204 . Figure 4 (a) to (c) show modified examples of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204 .

[0028] Figure 5 This is a diagram for explaining another modified example of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204 . Figure 5 (a) shows another modification example of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204 . Figure 5 (b) shows an example of a design pattern that can be seen by an observer when the backlight is turned on at a weak to medium intensity. Figure 5 (c) shows another modification example of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204 .

[0029] Figure 6 It is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the structure of the printed matter 52 . Figure 6 (a) and Figure 6 (b) shows a modified example of the structure of the printed matter 52. Figure 6 (c) shows Figure 6 An example of how the printed matter 52 with the structure shown in (b) is used.

[0030] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining another modified example of the structure of the printed matter 52 and the transmittance control layer 204 . Figure 7 (a) shows a modified example of the structure of the printed matter 52. Figure 7 (b) shows an example of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of creating the printed matter 52 in the printing system 10 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 An example of the configuration of a printing system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 (a) shows an example of the configuration of the printing system 10 . Figure 1 (b) shows an example of the configuration of the printing device 12 in the printing system 10 . Figure 1 (c) shows an example of the structure of the head 102 in the printing device 12. Except for the points described below, the printing system 10 of this example and the various structures of the printing system 10 may be the same as or characteristic of a known printing system and the various structures of the known printing system.

[0033] The printing system 10 of this example is a system for printing on a medium (media) 50 as a printing object by inkjet method, and includes a printing device 12 and a control PC 14. The printing device 12 is an inkjet printer that performs a printing operation of ejecting ink on the medium 50, and performs the printing operation on the medium 50 under the control of the control PC 14. The control PC 14 is a computer that controls the operation of the printing device 12, and controls the operation of the printing device 12 by providing the printing device 12 with print data representing an image to be printed. In addition, the control PC 14 generates print data by performing RIP (Raster Image Processor) processing, for example, and provides the generated print data to the printing device 12. The generation of print data may also be performed by a computer other than the control PC 14. In this case, the control PC 14 receives the print data from the computer and provides the print data to the printing device 12.

[0034] In addition, as described above, the printing system 10 of this example includes a printing device 12 and a control PC 14 as a plurality of devices. In a modified example of the structure of the printing system 10, for example, it is also considered that the printing system 10 is constituted by one device. In this case, for example, it is considered that a printing device 12 having a function of controlling the PC 14 is used. In another modified example of the structure of the printing system 10, it is also considered that the printing system 10 is constituted by three or more devices. In this case, for example, it is considered that the printing system 10 is constituted by a plurality of printing devices 12 and a control PC 14. In addition, for example, it is also considered that the printing system 10 is constituted by three or more devices using other devices having a part of the functions of the printing device 12 or the control PC 14.

[0035] In addition, for example Figure 1 As shown in (b) of FIG. 1 , the printing device 12 of this example includes a head 102, a platen 104, a main scanning drive unit 106, a sub-scanning drive unit 108, and a control unit 110. The head 102 is a part that ejects ink onto the medium 50. Figure 1 As shown in (c) of FIG. 1 , the head 102 of this example has a plurality of inkjet heads 122 and a plurality of ultraviolet light sources 124. In addition, as the plurality of inkjet heads 122, there are inkjet heads 122 for inks of yellow (Y color), magenta (M color), cyan (C color), black (K color), and white (W color) colors, and an inkjet head 122 for transparent ink.

[0036] In this case, the transparent ink can be considered as a transparent (CL color) ink. The transparent ink can also be considered as a colorless and transparent ink. The colorless and transparent mentioned here can be considered to mean that it is not intentionally colored. In addition, it can be considered that the color that is not intentionally colored means that no colorant is intentionally added. In addition, the inks of colors other than the transparent ink and the white ink can be considered as colored color inks. In this case, the white ink and the transparent ink can be considered as colorless inks other than the color inks. In addition, the inks of yellow, magenta, cyan and black are examples of inks of each color in the process color. The process color can be considered to be the basic color in color printing. In addition, the black ink in this example is an example of a light-absorbing ink. It can also be considered that the black ink is achromatic and light-absorbing ink, etc. In addition, the white ink is an example of a light-reflective ink.

[0037] In addition, the multiple inkjet heads 122 of this example are an example of ejection heads, which eject ultraviolet curing ink (UV ink) that is cured in response to ultraviolet irradiation. In this case, it is preferred to use known ultraviolet curing inks, etc. In addition, the inkjet heads 122 for printing colors in this example are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction (Y direction in the figure) orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction in the printing device 12 in such a manner that the positions in the pre-set sub-scanning direction (X direction in the figure) are aligned. The sub-scanning direction can be considered to be a direction parallel to the direction (feeding direction) in which the medium 50 is transported relative to the head 102. The main scanning direction can be considered to be a direction parallel to the relative movement direction (scanning direction) of the head 102 in the main scanning action described below. In addition, in this example, the inkjet heads 122 for white ink and transparent ink, which are inkjet heads 122 for colors other than printing colors, are arranged at positions in the sub-scanning direction that do not overlap with the inkjet heads 122 for printing colors, and are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction in such a manner that the positions in the sub-scanning direction are aligned. In a modified example of the structure of the head unit 102 , the arrangement of the plurality of inkjet heads 122 may be different from the above.

[0038] In addition, the multiple ultraviolet light sources 124 of the head 102 are light sources that irradiate ultraviolet rays for curing ultraviolet curing ink. As the ultraviolet light source 124, for example, a structure having a UVLED can be preferably used. In addition, the ultraviolet light source 124 of this example is arranged on one side and the other side in the main scanning direction relative to the arrangement of the multiple inkjet heads 122 in the head 102. In addition, based on this, the ultraviolet light source 124 irradiates ultraviolet rays to the ink on the medium 50 during the main scanning action described below, so that the ink is fixed to the medium 50. In addition, the multiple ultraviolet light sources 124 of this example are an example of a fixing means for the ink. In addition, in a modified example of the structure of the printing device 12, it is also considered to use inks other than ultraviolet curing inks. In this case, it is considered to use a fixing means that matches the ink to be used instead of the ultraviolet light source 124. For example, in the case of using an ink that evaporates the solvent in the ink (evaporative drying type ink), it is considered to use a heater or the like as a fixing means.

[0039] The platen 104 is a table-shaped member on which the medium 50 is placed, and the medium 50 is held in a state facing the plurality of inkjet heads 122 of the head 102. The main scanning drive unit 106 is a drive unit that causes the head 102 to perform a main scanning action. The main scanning action can be considered as an action of moving relative to the medium 50 in the main scanning direction and ejecting ink. In addition, it can be considered that causing the head 102 to perform a main scanning action means causing the inkjet head 122 of the head 102 to perform a main scanning action. When performing the main scanning action, the main scanning drive unit 106 causes the inkjet head 122 of the head 102 to eject ink to an ejection position set according to the printing resolution according to the instruction of the control unit 110. The sub-scanning drive unit 108 is a drive unit that causes the head 102 to perform a sub-scanning action. The sub-scanning action can be considered as an action of moving relative to the medium 50 in the sub-scanning direction. In addition, the sub-scanning action can also be considered as an action of conveying the medium 50 in the sub-scanning direction during the interval of the main scanning action. In addition, it can be considered that causing the head 102 to perform the sub-scanning operation means causing the inkjet head 122 in the head 102 to perform the sub-scanning operation.

[0040] The control unit 110 is a part including, for example, a CPU in the printing device 12, and controls the operation of each part of the printing device 12. In addition, as described above, the main scanning drive unit 106 of this example causes the inkjet head 122 of the head 102 to eject ink according to the control of the control unit 110. In this case, it can be considered that the control unit 110 causes the printing device 12 to produce printed matter by controlling the operation of the inkjet head 122. In addition, the control unit 110 of this example causes the inkjet head 122 to eject ink in each main scanning operation based on the printing data received from the control PC 14. In addition, based on this, in each main scanning operation, the inkjet head 122 draws an image corresponding to at least a part of the printing data. According to this example, the printing device 12 can appropriately perform the printing operation on the medium 50.

[0041] Next, the printed matter produced by the printing operation executed by the printing device 12 will be described in detail. In this case, the printed matter can be considered to be a printed product produced by drawing an image on the medium 50 with ink. It can also be considered that the printed matter is produced by forming an ink layer on the medium 50 by the printing device 12. In addition, the printing device 12 of this example produces, for example, Figure 2 A printout of the structure shown.

[0042] Figure 2 is a printing device 12 (refer to Figure 1 ) is a diagram of an example of a printed material 52 produced. Figure 2 (a) shows an example of the structure of the printed matter 52. Figure 2 (b) shows an example of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204 in the printed matter 52. Figure 2 (c) shows an example of a transmission mode of light for the transmittance control layer 204. The transmittance control layer 204 in this example is an example of a transmittance adjustment layer. In addition, the printing device 12 produces a printed matter 52 by ejecting ink to a light-transmitting medium 50. For the medium 50, a transparent film or the like can be preferably used. In addition, the printed matter 52 is a printed matter having a plurality of ink layers stacked thereon, and has an image layer 202 and a transmittance control layer 204 on the medium 50. The image layer 202 is a layer that expresses an image on a predetermined observation surface side of the printed matter 52. In this case, the observation surface side can be considered to be the side facing the observer who observes the design pattern expressed by the printed matter 52. In addition, the image layer 202 can also be considered to be an ink layer that draws an image observed from the observation surface side with ink. The image layer 202 can also be considered to be a layer that draws an image with color ink.

[0043] The transmittance control layer 204 is a layer for expressing a transmission image (watermark image), which is an image that can be seen through in the printed matter 52 according to specified conditions. In addition, the transmittance control layer 204 of this example is an ink layer formed on the side opposite to the observation side relative to the image layer 202, and is formed using white ink and transparent ink. The transmittance control layer 204 is formed using white ink, which is a light-reflective ink, so that the transmittance control layer 204 functions as a background of the image layer 202. In addition, the transmittance control layer 204 can also be considered as an ink layer that also serves as a light-reflecting layer. In addition, the white ink and the transparent ink can be considered to be colorless inks with different transmittances to light. That is, the transmittance control layer 204 of this example can be considered to be formed by a plurality of colorless inks with different transmittances to light. In addition, the transmittance control layer 204 has a plurality of regions with different transmittances to light, so that the transmittance of light varies according to the position. The transmittance control layer 204 of this example is an ink layer formed between the medium 50 and the image layer 202, and has a low transmittance region 302, a medium transmittance region 304, and a high transmittance region 306. The low transmittance region 302 is a region formed by setting the transmittance of light to a relatively low transmittance. The low transmittance region 302 of this example can be considered as a region in which the transmittance of light is lower than the transmittance of light in the medium transmittance region 304 and the high transmittance region 306. In addition, the medium transmittance region 304 is a region in which the transmittance of light is higher than the transmittance of light in the low transmittance region 302, and the transmittance of light is lower than the transmittance of light in the high transmittance region 306. The high transmittance region 306 is a region in which the transmittance of light is higher than the transmittance of light in the low transmittance region 302 and the medium transmittance region 304.

[0044] In addition, in this example, the light transmittances of the low-transmittance region 302, the medium-transmittance region 304, and the high-transmittance region 306 are made different from each other by making the amount of white ink per unit area on the medium 50 different from each other. More specifically, in this case, for the transmittance control layer 204, the amount of white ink per unit area in the high-transmittance region 306 is made smaller than the amount of white ink per unit area in the low-transmittance region 302, so that the transmittance of the low-transmittance region 302 is different from the transmittance of the high-transmittance region 306. In addition, the amount of white ink in the medium-transmittance region 304 is made smaller than the amount of white ink in the low-transmittance region 302, so that the transmittance of the medium-transmittance region 304 is different from the transmittance of the low-transmittance region 302. Furthermore, the amount of white ink in the high-transmittance region 306 is made smaller than the amount of white ink in the medium-transmittance region 304, so that the transmittance of the medium-transmittance region 304 is different from the transmittance of the high-transmittance region 306. In this case, it can be considered that the amount of white ink per unit area in the medium-transmittance region 304 is greater than the amount of white ink in the high-transmittance region 306, and less than the amount of white ink in the low-transmittance region 302. In addition, regarding the amount of white ink per unit area in each region, it is considered that the amount of white ink per unit area is different in each region by making the number of ejection positions where white ink is ejected in the main scanning operation different. Consider the control unit 110 of the printing device 12 (see Figure 1 ) The ejection position of the white ink is determined based on the printing data.

[0045] In addition, as described above, the printing device 12 of this example uses transparent ink in addition to white ink to form the transmittance control layer 204. In addition, in this example, at least the medium transmittance region 304 and the high transmittance region 306 are formed using white ink and transparent ink. Moreover, the amount of transparent ink in the medium transmittance region 304 and the high transmittance region 306 is set in a manner to compensate for the difference in the amount of white ink as schematically shown in the figure as CL compensation. In this case, it can be considered that the amount of transparent ink per unit area changes according to the amount of white ink per unit area in each region. In this case, the amount of transparent ink per unit area in the high transmittance region 306 is greater than the amount of transparent ink per unit area in the medium transmittance region 304 and the low transmittance region 302. The amount of transparent ink in the medium transmittance region 304 is greater than the amount of transparent ink in the low transmittance region 302. If it is configured like this, it is possible to appropriately prevent the occurrence of unexpected unevenness in the transmittance control layer 204 due to the difference in white ink in the region. In addition, this can appropriately prevent the generation of unintended irregularities in the image layer 202 formed to overlap the transmittance control layer 204. Therefore, according to this example, the image layer 202 and the transmittance control layer 204 can be appropriately formed to overlap on the medium 50.

[0046] In addition, in this example, as the transmittance control layer 204, a layer with a fixed thickness is formed. If it is constructed like this, it is possible to more appropriately prevent the occurrence of unexpected bumps and depressions in the transmittance control layer 204. It can be considered that the fixed thickness of the layer means that the thickness is substantially fixed according to the accuracy of the design pattern to be expressed by the printed matter 52. In addition, it can also be considered that the fixed thickness of the layer means that the thickness is fixed in design, etc. More specifically, in the case of the transmittance control layer 204 having multiple regions (low transmittance region 302, medium transmittance region 304 and high transmittance region 306) with different transmittances as in this example, it can be considered that the fixed thickness means that there is no difference in the designed thickness of these multiple regions. In addition, in this case, it is considered to use the transparent ink as described above to compensate so that the designed thickness of these multiple regions is the same.

[0047] Here, for example, it is considered that the low-transmittance region 302 is formed by only white ink without using transparent ink. In this case, the amount of transparent ink in the low-transmittance region 302 can be considered to be zero. Figure 2 In (b), for ease of illustration, the amount of white ink used in forming the low-transmittance region 302, the medium-transmittance region 304, and the high-transmittance region 306 is represented in the figure as large, medium, and small film thicknesses, and the white ink is illustrated as if it is overlapped with different thicknesses. In addition, corresponding to such an expression related to the white ink, the amount of transparent ink for each region is also illustrated as if the transparent ink is overlapped with different thicknesses. However, when the transmittance control layer 204 is actually formed, it is also possible to form each region of the transmittance control layer 204 in a manner such that the white ink layer and the transparent ink layer are appropriately mixed, rather than being clearly separated as in the illustrated structure. As also described above, the inkjet heads 122 for white ink and transparent ink in this example (see Figure 1 ) are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction in such a manner that the positions in the sub-scanning direction are aligned. In this case, it is considered that the inkjet head 122 for white ink and the inkjet head 122 for transparent ink eject ink to the same position on the medium 50 in the same main scanning action. In addition, in this case, it can be considered that the transmittance control layer 204 has a structure that contains both white ink and transparent ink in the same ink layer. Even in the case of such a structure, the low transmittance area 302, the medium transmittance area 304, and the high transmittance area 306 can appropriately make the transmittance of light different by making the white ink per unit area different from each other.

[0048] In addition, in a modification of the formation method of the transmittance control layer 204, it is also conceivable to form the medium transmittance region 304 and the high transmittance region 306 by a structure in which the white ink layer and the transparent ink layer are separated. In this case, by forming the white ink layer and the transparent ink layer in different main scanning operations, one of the white ink layer and the transparent ink layer is formed first, and the other is formed thereon. In this case, the transmittance control layer 204 having the low transmittance region 302, the medium transmittance region 304, and the high transmittance region 306 can also be appropriately formed.

[0049] In addition, in this example, for example Figure 2 The transmittance of light in these regions is set in such a way that the transmittance is different according to the intensity of the irradiated light as shown in (c). Figure 2 In (c), a graph with W input as the horizontal axis and transmission concentration as the vertical axis is shown for the case where light is irradiated with multiple levels of intensity represented as weak light, medium light, and strong light in the figure. The W input is a parameter corresponding to the amount of white ink per unit area, and the transmission concentration is a parameter corresponding to the intensity of light that causes light transmission when the ink layer corresponding to the value of the W input is irradiated with light. Moreover, the low transmission area 302 of this example is formed so as not to allow light to pass through even when it is irradiated with strong light of a specified intensity. The medium transmission area 304 is formed so as to allow light to pass through when it is irradiated with strong light, and not to allow light to pass through when it is irradiated with light that is weaker than the strong light and is below medium (weak to medium light). Moreover, the high transmission area 306 is formed so as to allow light to pass through even when it is irradiated with weak to medium light.

[0050] In this example, the transmittance control layer 204 having such a structure is formed to overlap with the image layer 202, so that, for example, the printed matter 52 is expressed as follows: Figure 3 Design pattern shown. Figure 3 An example of a design pattern expressed in the printed matter 52 is shown. Figure 3 (a) shows an example of the structure of the image layer 202 and the transmittance control layer 204 in the printed matter 52. Figure 3(b) shows an example of a design pattern expressed by the printed matter 52. In the illustrated structure, an illustration representing the sun is expressed in the image layer 202. In addition, in the transmittance control layer 204, a part is set as a medium transmission area 304 and a high transmission area 306 and another part is set as a low transmission area 302, so that a graphic corresponding to the transmission image is expressed by the medium transmission area 304 and the high transmission area 306. In addition, as a graphic corresponding to the transmission image, a graphic representing the eyes and mouth of a smiley face symbol is expressed by the medium transmission area 304 at a position overlapping with the illustration of the sun in the image layer 202. Then, a graphic representing clouds is expressed around the illustration of the sun in the image layer 202 by the high transmission area 306.

[0051] When the printed matter 52 is irradiated with back light as light irradiating the printed matter 52 from the side opposite to the observation side, the light passes through a part of the transmittance control layer 204 according to the intensity of the back light, so that the watermark pattern can be seen on the observation side. For example, when the printed matter 52 is irradiated with back light of strong intensity as described above, the watermark pattern corresponding to the medium transmission area 304 and the high transmission area 306 can be seen. In addition, when the printed matter 52 is irradiated with back light of weak to medium intensity as described above, the watermark pattern corresponding to the high transmission area 306 can be seen. Figure 3 (b) shows an example of changes in the design pattern of the printed matter 52 caused by turning on / off the backlight as a light source for irradiating the back light and changing the intensity of the backlight. When the backlight is turned off, the influence of the medium transmission area 304 and the high transmission area 306 in the transmittance control layer 204 becomes insignificant, so that an observer who observes the printed matter 52 from the observation surface side can only see the image expressed by the image layer 202. In addition, when the backlight is turned on with a weak to medium intensity, the light irradiated from the backlight passes through the high transmission area 306 in the transmittance control layer 204, so that for an observer who observes the printed matter 52 from the observation surface side, a pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmission area 306 appears to be superimposed on the image expressed by the image layer 202 like a watermark pattern. Furthermore, when the backlight is turned on with a strong light intensity, the light irradiated from the backlight passes through the medium transmission area 304 and the high transmission area 306 in the transmittance control layer 204, so that for an observer observing the printed material 52 from the observation surface side, a pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium transmission area 304 and the high transmission area 306 appears to be superimposed on the image represented by the image layer 202 like a watermark pattern.

[0052] As described above, in this example, regarding the design pattern of the printed matter 52 that can be seen by the observer when observing the printed matter 52 from the observation surface side, the appearance of the pattern based on the shape of the high-transmittance region 306 of the transmittance control layer 204 can be changed according to whether the back light is irradiated. In addition, the appearance of the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium-transmittance region 304 can be changed according to the intensity of the irradiated back light. In addition, based on this, various expressions such as watermark patterns of the printed matter 52 can be appropriately realized. In addition, in this case, as can be understood from the above description, etc., the design pattern in the printed matter 52 can be appropriately expressed in a manner that does not excessively increase the ink layer. Therefore, according to this example, various design patterns can be appropriately expressed by the printed matter 52 without becoming an excessively complicated structure.

[0053] In addition, regarding this feature of the present example, it can be considered that the transmittance control layer 204 has a low transmittance region 302 and a high transmittance region 306 with different light transmittances, thereby allowing light to pass through the printed material 52 in the following manner: for an observer observing the image layer 202 from the observation surface side, a pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance region 306 can be visually recognized from the observation surface side by irradiating the back light, and when the back light is not irradiated, the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance region 306 becomes inconspicuous. In addition, in this case, it can be considered that the transmittance control layer 204 also has a medium transmittance area 304, thereby allowing light to pass through the printed material 52 in the following manner: for an observer observing the image layer 202 from the observation surface side, when irradiated with relatively strong back light, not only the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance area 306 can be visually recognized from the observation surface side, but also the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium transmittance area 304 can be visually recognized, and when irradiated with relatively weak back light, the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium transmittance area 304 becomes inconspicuous, and the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance area 306 can be visually recognized from the observation surface side.

[0054] In addition, in this example, irradiating the printed matter 52 with backlight by a backlight or the like can be considered to mean substantially irradiating the backlight. Not irradiating the backlight can be considered to mean substantially not irradiating the backlight. Substantially irradiating the backlight can be considered to mean irradiating the backlight of the intensity required for the design pattern to be expressed by the printed matter 52 by irradiating the backlight. Substantially not irradiating the backlight can be considered to mean not irradiating the backlight of the intensity required for the design pattern to be expressed by the printed matter 52 by irradiating the backlight. In addition, making the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high-transmittance region 306 inconspicuous without irradiating the backlight can be considered to mean substantially making the pattern inconspicuous according to the accuracy of the design pattern to be expressed by the printed matter 52. Making the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium-transmittance region 304 inconspicuous when irradiating relatively weak backlight can be considered to mean substantially making the pattern inconspicuous according to the accuracy of the design pattern to be expressed by the printed matter 52. Substantially making the pattern inconspicuous can be considered to mean a state in which the pattern is made inconspicuous in the design of the design pattern to be expressed. In addition, it can be considered that the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium transmission area 304 and the high transmission area 306 is made inconspicuous according to the design pattern to be expressed in the printed material 52, which means that the pattern is relatively inconspicuous compared to the state of expressing the watermark pattern by irradiating the back light of the required intensity. In addition, it can be considered that the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium transmission area 304 and the high transmission area 306 is made inconspicuous according to the design pattern to be expressed in the printed material 52, which means that the pattern is substantially invisible. It can be considered that the pattern is substantially invisible in design according to the accuracy of the design pattern to be expressed by the printed material 52, which means that the pattern is made invisible in design.

[0055] In addition, when the above-described structure is used to express a watermark pattern corresponding to the medium-transmittance region 304 and the high-transmittance region 306, for example, the transmittance of the pattern may differ depending on the color of the image layer 202. In this case, it can be considered that the transmittance of the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium-transmittance region 304 set to an intermediate transmittance is easily affected by the color of the image layer 202. Therefore, depending on the color of the portion of the image layer 202 that overlaps with the medium-transmittance region 304 of the transmittance control layer 204, the following situation is also considered: when the backlight is turned on with a weak to medium intensity, for example Figure 3As shown by the dotted line in (b), the pattern corresponding to the middle transmission area 304 can be slightly seen through. However, in this case, it can also be considered that the pattern corresponding to the shape of the middle transmission area 304 becomes substantially inconspicuous. In addition, in this case, for example, it is also considered that the transmittance of the pattern corresponding to the middle transmission area 304 is adjusted by adjusting the transmittance of the middle transmission area 304 according to the color of the image layer 202. This adjustment will be described in more detail later.

[0056] In addition, the specific structure of the transmittance control layer 204 is not limited to the structure described above, and various changes can be made. In this case, it is also considered to change the transmittance of light in the transmittance control layer 204 in more levels, rather than changing it in three levels of low transmittance area 302, medium transmittance area 304 and high transmittance area 306. If it is configured like this, it is possible to express various design patterns through the printed matter 52 by changing the intensity of the back light in more levels. In addition, it is also considered to change the transmittance of light in the transmittance control layer 204 in two levels. In this case, it can be considered that the transmittance control layer 204 has a low transmittance area 302 and a high transmittance area 306, but does not have a medium transmittance area 304.

[0057] As a modification of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204, for example, Figure 4 The structure shown. Figure 4 These are diagrams for explaining various modified examples of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204 . Figure 4 (a) to (c) show modified examples of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204. In addition to the following points, Figure 4 Marked with Figure 1 to Figure 3 Structures with the same reference numerals may have Figure 1 to Figure 3 The same or similar features in the structure.

[0058] The above mainly describes an example in which the transmittance control layer 204 is composed of the low transmittance region 302, the medium transmittance region 304, and the high transmittance region 306. In addition, the low transmittance region 302, the medium transmittance region 304, and the high transmittance region 306 in this case can be considered to be regions formed using at least white ink. In contrast, for example, the transmittance control layer 204 may also be formed as follows: Figure 4As shown in (a), the transparent area 308 is also provided. In this case, the transparent area 308 can be considered to be an area formed only by transparent ink without using white ink. In addition, the transparent area 308 can also be considered to be a portion of the transmittance control layer 204 that does not reflect light. In the case of such a configuration, since the transmittance control layer 204 has the low transmittance area 302, the medium transmittance area 304 and the high transmittance area 306, it is possible to appropriately achieve a representation such as a watermark pattern in the printed matter 52. In addition, in this case, it can be considered that since the transmittance control layer 204 also has the transparent area 308, a more diverse design pattern can be expressed.

[0059] In addition, the above mainly describes the example of using not only white ink but also transparent ink and setting the amount of transparent ink in the medium transmission area 304 and the high transmission area 306 in a manner to compensate for the difference in the amount of white ink in the formation of the medium transmission area 304 and the high transmission area 306 in the transmittance control layer 204. In this regard, the following case is considered: in the case where the transmittance control layer 204 has the low transmission area 302, the medium transmission area 304, and the high transmission area 306, for example, if the transmittance control layer 204 is formed only by white ink, the amount of white ink per unit area will be different depending on the position, thereby generating unintended concavity and convexity in the transmittance control layer 204. In addition, in this case, when the image layer 202 is formed on the transmittance control layer 204 in an overlapping manner, unintended concavity and convexity will also be generated in the image layer 202, and thus even when the back light is not irradiated, the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmission area 306 in the transmittance control layer 204 may be conspicuous due to the shadows generated by the concavity and convexity. In contrast, when the clear ink is used for compensation as described above, it is possible to appropriately prevent unexpected unevenness from occurring in the transmittance control layer 204 and the image layer 202. In addition, it is possible to appropriately prevent the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance region 306 from becoming conspicuous due to the shadows caused by the unevenness.

[0060] However, it is also possible to express a design pattern by using such concavities and convexities according to the design pattern to be expressed by the printed matter 52. Figure 4 As shown in (b) of FIG. 1 , the medium-transmittance region 304 and the high-transmittance region 306 are formed by only white ink without using transparent ink. With such a configuration, the transmittance control layer 204 and the image layer 202 can be formed with concavities and convexities corresponding to the medium-transmittance region 304 and the high-transmittance region 306. In addition, based on this, the concavities and convexities can be appropriately used to express a design pattern.

[0061] In addition, the transmittance control layer 204 is not limited to a single layer formed by a single-layer printing operation, and a plurality of ink layers formed by two-layer printing or the like may be formed. In addition, in this regard, as described above, in a modification of the formation method of the transmittance control layer 204, it is also considered that the high transmittance region 306 is formed by a structure in which the white ink layer and the transparent ink layer are separated. In this case, for example, Figure 4 A transmittance control layer 204 having a transmission image layer 212 and a uniform transmittance layer 214 is formed as shown in (c). In this case, the transmission image layer 212 is an ink layer that expresses a transmission image using transparent ink. In addition, in this case, for example, as shown in the figure, it is considered that only the portion of the transmission image layer 212 corresponding to the transmission image is formed by transparent ink, and the other portion is formed by white ink. In addition, the uniform transmittance layer 214 is an ink layer formed in a manner that the entirety has a uniform transmittance. In this case, it is considered that the uniform transmittance layer 214 is formed only by white ink. In addition, the uniform transmittance layer 214 can also be formed using white ink and transparent ink in a certain ratio. In addition, in this case, by forming the transmittance control layer 204 with a structure in which the transmission image layer 212 and the uniform transmittance layer 214 overlap, the low transmittance area 302 and the high transmittance area 306 of the transmittance control layer 204 can be appropriately formed.

[0062] In addition, as described above, when it is desired to use the medium-transmittance region 304 and the high-transmittance region 306 to express a watermark pattern, for example, there is a case where the transmittance of the pattern is different depending on the color of the image layer 202. In this case, as described above, it is also considered to adjust the transmittance of the pattern corresponding to the medium-transmittance region 304. In this case, for example, by using Figure 5 The transmittance control layer 204 of the structure shown is used to adjust the transmittance of the pattern.

[0063] Figure 5 This is a diagram for explaining another modified example of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204 . Figure 5 (a) shows another modification example of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204 . Figure 5 (b) shows an example of a design pattern that can be seen by an observer when the backlight is turned on at a low to medium intensity. Figure 5 Marked with Figure 1 to Figure 4 Structures with the same reference numerals may have Figure 1 to Figure 4The transmittance control layer 204 of this modification example has, for example, a plurality of types of middle transmission regions 304 in which the amount of white ink per unit area is different from each other, as shown in the figure as middle transmission regions 304a and 304b. In addition, in this case, the amount of white ink per unit area of ​​the middle transmission region 304 is made different according to the color colored at the corresponding position in the image layer 202. It can be considered that the color colored at the corresponding position in the image layer 202 is the color of the portion of the image layer 202 that overlaps with the middle transmission region 304. In addition, in this case, it can be considered that if the color in the image layer 202 is a high-brightness color (bright color), the shape of the middle transmission region 304 can be easily seen through. Therefore, for the middle transmission region 304 that overlaps with the portion of the high-brightness color in the image layer 202, for example, it is considered that the amount of white ink per unit area is relatively large, as in the middle transmission region 304a in the figure, so that the transmittance of the middle transmission region 304 is relatively small. In addition, for the medium transmission region 304 overlapping with the low brightness color portion in the image layer 202, for example, the amount of white ink per unit area may be relatively small as in the medium transmission region 304b in the figure, so that the transmittance of the medium transmission region 304 may be relatively large.

[0064] Regarding the brightness of the color of the image layer 202 in this modification, for example, it is considered to be determined based on the L value when the color is represented by the Lab color system. In this case, for example, yellow can be considered as a color with high brightness. In addition, for example, black can be considered as a color with low brightness. Regarding the amount of white ink per unit area, for example, a predetermined reference amount is considered, and when the color in the image layer 202 is a color that is easy to transmit, the amount of white ink per unit area in the middle transmission area 304 is more than the reference amount, and when the color in the image layer 202 is a color that is not easy to transmit, the amount of white ink per unit area in the middle transmission area 304 is less than the reference amount. If it is configured like this, the transmittance of the pattern corresponding to the shape of the middle transmission area 304 can be appropriately adjusted. In addition, regarding the relationship between the amount of white ink per unit area and its reference amount, it is also possible to make the amount of white ink per unit area different from the reference amount only in one of the cases where the color in the image layer 202 is a color that is easy to transmit and the color in the image layer 202 is a color that is not easy to transmit. In addition, the amount of white ink per unit area in the low-transmittance region 302 and the high-transmittance region 306 may be set to an amount predetermined for each region, for example, regardless of the color colored at the corresponding position in the image layer 202. If configured in this way, it is possible to appropriately prevent the structure of the transmittance control layer 204 from becoming too complicated.

[0065] In this case, when the backlight is turned on at a weak to medium intensity for the printed material 52 having the transmittance control layer 204 of this modification, for example, Figure 5 As shown in (b) of FIG. 5 , for an observer observing the printed matter 52 from the observation surface side, the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high-transmittance region 306 appears to be superimposed on the image represented by the image layer 202 like a watermark pattern. Figure 3 Unlike the case described in relation to (b), it is also possible to appropriately prevent the pattern corresponding to the medium transmission region 304 from being slightly visible. Therefore, according to this modification, various design patterns can be expressed with higher quality.

[0066] In addition, depending on the structure of the printed matter 52, the characteristics of the ink to be used, etc., it is conceivable to adjust not only the transmittance of the medium transmission area 304, for example, Figure 5 The transmittance of the high-transmittance area 306 is also adjusted according to the color of the image layer 202 as shown in (c). In this case, the transmittance control layer 204 has, for example, a plurality of types of high-transmittance areas 306 in which the amount of white ink per unit area is different from each other, as distinguished and represented as high-transmittance areas 306a and 306b in the figure. In addition, in this case, the amount of white ink per unit area in the high-transmittance area 306 is made different according to the color colored at the corresponding position in the image layer 202. If it is configured in this way, the transmittance of the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high-transmittance area 306 can be appropriately adjusted. In addition, in this case, it is considered to set the amount of white ink per unit area in the low-transmittance area 302 to a predetermined amount regardless of the color colored at the corresponding position in the image layer 202. In addition, it is considered that, for example Figure 5 The amount of white ink per unit area in the medium-transmittance region 304 is made different in the same or similar manner as the case shown in (a) of FIG. 2 according to the color colored at the corresponding position in the image layer 202. In addition, it is also considered that the amount of white ink per unit area in the medium-transmittance region 304 is set to a predetermined amount regardless of the color colored at the corresponding position in the image layer 202. In addition, it is also considered that a structure for adjusting the amount of white ink per unit area in the low-transmittance region 302 is used in the transmittance control layer 204 having a structure without the medium-transmittance region 304.

[0067] In addition, the structure of the printed matter 52 is not limited to the structure described above, and various modifications are possible. Figure 6 It is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the structure of the printed matter 52 . Figure 6 (a) and (b) show modified examples of the structure of the printed matter 52. Figure 6 (c) shows Figure 6An example of the use of the printed matter 52 having the structure shown in (b). In addition to the points described below, Figure 6 Marked with Figure 1 to Figure 5 Structures with the same reference numerals as in Figure 1 to Figure 5 The same or similar features in the structure.

[0068] Regarding the structure of the printed matter 52 described above, for example, Figure 2 (a) of FIG. 5 shows an example of a case where a transmittance control layer 204 is formed on a medium 50 and an image layer 202 is formed thereon. In contrast, for example, a case where a printed material 52 is formed Figure 6 As shown in (a) of FIG. 5 , an image layer 202 is formed between a medium 50 and a transmittance control layer 204. The structure of such a printed matter 52 can be considered to be a structure in which the image layer 202 is formed on the medium 50 and the transmittance control layer 204 is formed thereon. In addition, in this case, it can be considered that the side of the medium 50 opposite to the side on which the image layer 202 and the transmittance control layer 204 are formed is the observation side, and the image layer 202 is observed by the observer through the light-transmitting medium 50. In the case of such a configuration, by forming the transmittance control layer 204 on the side opposite to the observation side relative to the image layer 202, it is possible to appropriately realize an expression such as a watermark pattern in the printed matter 52.

[0069] In addition, in Figure 6 In the case where the image layer 202 is first formed on the medium 50 and the transmittance control layer 204 is formed thereon as in the structure shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , even if the transmittance control layer 204 is uneven due to the difference in the amount of white ink per unit area, etc., the image layer 202 that has already been formed will not be uneven. Therefore, in this case, it can be considered that even if the transmittance control layer 204 is uneven, it is not easy to affect the appearance of the image layer 202. Therefore, in the case of Figure 6 When the image layer 202 and the transmittance control layer 204 are overlapped as in the structure shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , it is also conceivable to form the transmittance control layer 204 without using a clear ink for compensation.

[0070] In another variation of the structure of the printed matter 52, it is also conceivable that Figure 6As shown in (b) of , a design pattern is expressed using multiple image layers 202. The printed matter 52 of this modified example has two image layers 202 and one transmittance control layer 204 on the medium 50. In this case, the transmittance control layer 204 is formed between the two image layers 202. In addition, one of the two image layers 202 can be considered to be a first image layer 202 that overlaps with the transmittance control layer 204 on one side of the transmittance control layer 204. The other of the two image layers 202 can be considered to be a second image layer 202 that overlaps with the transmittance control layer 204 on the other side of the transmittance control layer 204. In addition, in this case, for the printed matter 52, the observation surface side for the first image layer 202 and the observation surface side for the second image layer 202 can be considered separately. Moreover, the observation surface side for the second image layer 202 can be considered to be the side opposite to the observation surface side for the first image layer 202. In this case, it can be considered that the transmittance control layer 204 is formed on the side opposite to the observation side corresponding to the first image layer 202, and the transmittance control layer 204 is formed on the side opposite to the observation side corresponding to the second image layer 202. In such a configuration, the image that the observer can see can be changed in various ways depending on the difference in observation direction, such as which side of the printed matter 52 is viewed from and the influence of the environment, such as which side of the printed matter 52 is brighter.

[0071] For example, Figure 6Consider that the printed matter 52 of this variation is pasted on the window glass 150 for use as shown in (c). In this case, the printed matter 52 can be considered to be a printed matter obtained by watermark printing for a wind sign, etc. In addition, the two image layers 202 in the printed matter 52 can be considered to be the image layer 202 on the outdoor side and the image layer 202 on the indoor side. Moreover, in this case, when the printed matter 52 is observed from the outdoor side relative to the window glass 150, the light incident on the printed matter 52 from the indoor side becomes the back light. In addition, when the printed matter 52 is observed from the indoor side relative to the window glass 150, the light incident on the printed matter 52 from the outdoor side becomes the back light. Therefore, for example, when the printed matter 52 is observed from the outdoor side in a state where the outdoor side is relatively bright and the indoor side is relatively dark, the conditions are the same as the conditions where the back light is not irradiated, and the observer can see the image expressed by the image layer 202 on the outdoor side in a state where the watermark effect is not generated. In this state, when the printed material 52 is viewed from the indoor side, the condition is that the back light is irradiated, and the watermark effect is generated, so that the viewer can see the transmission image expressed by the transmittance control layer 204 and the image expressed by the image layer 202 on the indoor side. In addition, for example, when the printed material 52 is viewed from the outdoor side at night when the outdoor side is relatively dark and the indoor side is relatively bright with the lighting turned on, the condition is that the back light is irradiated, and the watermark effect is generated, so that the viewer can see the transmission image expressed by the transmittance control layer 204 and the image expressed by the image layer 202 on the outdoor side. In addition, in this state, when the printed material 52 is viewed from the indoor side, the condition is the same as the condition without irradiation of the back light, and the viewer can see the image expressed by the image layer 202 on the indoor side without the watermark effect. Therefore, by configuring in this way, more various design patterns can be appropriately expressed.

[0072] In addition, the above mainly describes the example of the structure of the printed matter 52 when the transmittance control layer 204 is formed using white ink. On the other hand, in a modified example of the structure of the printed matter 52, it is also possible to form the transmittance control layer 204 by utilizing the characteristics of light-absorbing ink such as black ink. In this case, it is also possible to use the printed matter 52 and the transmittance control layer 204 in the structure. Figure 7 The structure shown. Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining another modified example of the structure of the printed matter 52 and the transmittance control layer 204 . Figure 7 (a) shows a modified example of the structure of the printed matter 52. Figure 7 (b) shows an example of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204 in the printed material 52 of this modification. Figure 7 Marked with Figure 1 to Figure 6 Structures with the same reference numerals may have Figure 1 to Figure 6The same or similar features in the structure.

[0073] The printed matter 52 of this modification example includes an image layer 202, a transmittance control layer 204, and a light reflection layer 206. In this case, it can be considered that the printed matter 52 includes the light reflection layer 206 in addition to the transmittance control layer 204. In addition, the transmittance control layer 204 of this modification example overlaps with the image layer 202 in a manner of sandwiching the light reflection layer 206. In this case, for example, it is considered that the transmittance control layer 204, the light reflection layer 206, and the image layer 202 are sequentially formed on the medium 50 as shown in the figure. In addition, in another modification example of the structure of the printed matter 52, it is also considered that the image layer 202, the light reflection layer 206, and the transmittance control layer 204 are sequentially formed on the medium 50. In addition, the light reflection layer 206 of this modification example is a layer having light reflectivity formed using white ink. The light reflection layer 206 is formed on the side opposite to the observation side with respect to the image layer 202, and thus it can be considered that the light reflection layer 206 functions as a background of the image layer 202. The light reflecting layer 206 of this modification is formed as a layer that transmits a certain degree of light uniformly when irradiated with back light having a predetermined intensity or more.

[0074] In addition, the transmittance control layer 204 of this modification is a layer formed using black ink, and has a plurality of types of regions in which the amount of black ink per unit area is different from each other, namely, a low-transmittance region 302, a medium-transmittance region 304, and a high-transmittance region 306. In this case, the amount of black ink per unit area in the high-transmittance region 306 is made smaller than the amount of black ink per unit area in the low-transmittance region 302, so that the transmittance of the low-transmittance region 302 is different from the transmittance of the high-transmittance region 306. In addition, the amount of black ink in the medium-transmittance region 304 is made smaller than the amount of black ink in the low-transmittance region 302, so that the transmittance of the medium-transmittance region 304 is different from the transmittance of the low-transmittance region 302. In addition, in this case, the amount of black ink in the high-transmittance region 306 is made smaller than the amount of black ink in the medium-transmittance region 304, so that the transmittance of the medium-transmittance region 304 is different from the transmittance of the high-transmittance region 306. In this case, it can be considered that the amount of black ink per unit area in the medium-transmission region 304 is greater than that in the high-transmission region 306 , and is less than that in the low-transmission region 302 .

[0075] In addition, Figure 7(b) shows the structure of the transmittance control layer 204 as follows: as represented by K100, K50 and K20, when the amount of black ink per unit area in the low transmittance region 302 is set to 100, the amount of black ink per unit area in the medium transmittance region 304 is 50, and the amount of black ink per unit area in the high transmittance region 306 is 20. In the case of such a structure, it is also possible to realize a light transmittance control layer 204 having a plurality of regions with different light transmittances, and various design patterns can be expressed according to whether the back light is irradiated and the intensity of the back light. In this case, for an observer observing the image layer 202 from the observation surface side, light is transmitted through the printed matter 52 in such a manner that, when irradiated with relatively strong back light, not only the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high-transmittance region 306 but also the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium-transmittance region 304 can be visually recognized from the observation surface side, and when irradiated with relatively weak back light, the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium-transmittance region 304 becomes inconspicuous and the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high-transmittance region 306 can be visually recognized from the observation surface side. In this modified example as well, by using the image layer 202 and the transmittance control layer 204, various design patterns can be appropriately expressed using the printed matter 52 with a structure that does not become excessively complicated.

[0076] In addition, as described above, in the case of this modification, the light reflection layer 206 is formed between the image layer 202 and the transmittance control layer 204. Moreover, in this case, it is considered that when unexpected unevenness or the like is generated in the transmittance control layer 204 due to the difference in the amount of black ink per unit area, the influence on the image layer 202 is also reduced. Therefore, in this modification, it is considered that the transmittance control layer 204 is formed in a manner not to use a transparent ink for compensation. In this case, it is considered that the transmittance control layer 204 is formed only by black ink. In addition, depending on the accuracy of the design pattern to be expressed by the printed matter, the transmittance control layer 204 may be formed using a transparent ink for compensation in addition to the black ink.

[0077] Next, the printing system 10 (see Figure 1 ) is the action of producing (manufacturing) printed matter 52. Figure 8 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of producing the printed matter 52 in the printing system 10. As described above, in the printing system 10 of this example, the printing device 12 (see Figure 1 ) Based on the slave control PC 14 (refer to Figure 1) is used to perform a printing operation, thereby producing a printed matter 52. Moreover, in this case, a designer who is responsible for the design of the medium 50 determines the design pattern of the printed matter 52 before these operations (S102). In this case, for example, a program (application software, etc.) that can image the state of the completed printed matter 52 is executed in the control PC 14 or other computers, and the design of the printed matter 52 is determined based on the instructions of the designer. As such a program, it is considered to use commercially available well-known design software, etc. In addition, as such a program, it is also considered to use plug-in software for software used to generate printing data in the control PC 14, etc. In addition, in step S102 of the present example, the computer that executes the program generates an image representing the printed matter 52 to be produced according to the instructions of the designer. In addition, as such an image, a computer that represents the printed matter 52 to be produced as in the image layer 202 (refer to Figure 2 ) and the image data of the observed image of the image observed from the observation surface side and the image data representing the image formed by the transmittance control layer 204 (refer to Figure 2 The observed image can be considered to be an image drawn in the image layer 202 using ink.

[0078] In this case, for example, in a computer such as the control PC 14, a program for causing the computer to perform a process for generating print data is executed to generate print data based on the image generated in step S102 (S104). In this case, the computer performs RIP processing on the image data representing the observed image and the transmission image according to the printing conditions used when printing is performed by the printing device 12, thereby generating print data. In addition, in S104 of this example, the computer executing the program performs image layer data generation processing and transmittance adjustment layer data generation processing to generate print data. In this case, the image layer data generation processing can be considered to be a process for generating data representing the image layer 202, etc. The transmittance adjustment layer data generation processing can be considered to be a process for generating data representing the transmittance control layer 204, etc. In addition, in the image layer data generation processing, the image data representing the observed image generated in step S102 is subjected to RIP processing, thereby generating data representing the image layer 202. In the transmittance adjustment layer data generation process, the image data representing the transmission image generated in step S102 is RIP-processed to generate data representing the transmittance control layer 204. The computer generates print data including data representing the image layer 202 and the transmittance control layer 204 through these operations.

[0079] In addition, after the print data is generated in step S104, the print data is provided to the printing device 12, thereby causing the printing device 12 to execute a printing operation to produce a printed matter 52 (S106). According to this example, the printed matter 52 having the image layer 202 and the transmittance control layer 204 can be appropriately produced. In addition, based on this, the printed matter 52 that can be expressed like a watermark pattern can be appropriately produced. In addition, as described above, as the printed matter 52, a printed matter 52 having a structure with a plurality of image layers 202, a printed matter 52 also having a light reflection layer, etc. can also be considered. In these cases, it is considered that the design is determined according to the structure of the printed matter 52 in step S102, and the print data is generated according to the structure of the printed matter 52 in step S104. In these cases, it is also possible to generate print data by performing image layer data generation processing, transmittance adjustment layer data generation processing, etc., thereby appropriately producing a printed matter 52 that can be expressed like a watermark pattern.

[0080] Next, supplementary explanations related to the structure described above are provided. Below, for the sake of convenience, the modified examples described above are sometimes referred to as the present example. As described above, in the present example, a printed material 52 having an image layer 202 and a transmittance control layer 204 is produced. Moreover, in this case, the image layer 202 and the transmittance control layer 204 can be formed by one ink layer (single ink layer) or by a plurality of ink layers. In this case, one ink layer can be considered to be an ink layer formed by the main scanning action of the number of times specified in the printing conditions. In addition, a plurality of ink layers can be considered to be a state in which a plurality of such ink layers are overlapped.

[0081] In addition, as described above, for the transmittance control layer 204, a structure using white ink and transparent ink, and a structure using black ink are considered. Moreover, in these cases, it can be considered that the transmittance control layer 204 is formed of achromatic ink. In another variation of the structure of the transmittance control layer 204, it is also considered to use colored ink to form at least a portion of the transmittance control layer 204. In this case, as the colored ink, for example, it is considered to use at least one color of yellow, magenta, and cyan. In addition, in this case, it is considered to color a portion of the transmittance control layer 204 with colored ink. If it is configured like this, it is possible to express a more diverse design pattern through the printed matter 52. In addition, in this case, it is considered to form with colored ink instead of transparent ink. Figure 4 The transparent area 308 in the structure shown in (a) Figure 4 The portion formed using transparent ink in the structure shown in (c).

[0082] In addition, when the transmittance control layer 204 is formed using white ink and transparent ink, as described above, by using transparent ink to compensate for the difference in the amount of white ink per unit area, it is possible to appropriately prevent the occurrence of unexpected unevenness in the transmittance control layer 204 and the image layer 202. In addition, in this case, by preventing the occurrence of such unevenness, it is possible to more appropriately process the printed matter 52 when laminating the printed matter 52. In addition, in this case, by performing laminating, it is also possible to more appropriately produce a printed matter 52 with high weather resistance suitable for outdoor advertising, etc.

[0083] In addition, when the transmittance control layer 204 is formed using black ink, it is also considered to make a Figure 6 The printed matter 52 includes a plurality of image layers 202 as in the printed matter 52 described in (b) and (c). In this case, consider Figure 6 The structure shown in (b) is changed to a structure in which the transmittance control layer 204 is formed using black ink, and a light reflection layer is further added above and below the transmittance control layer 204. In this case, it can be considered that the image layer 202 on one side and the other side of the transmittance control layer 204 overlaps the transmittance control layer 204 in a manner that the light reflection layer is sandwiched between the transmittance control layer 204. In addition, it can be considered that the printed matter 52 is formed into a five-layer structure. Even in the case of such a configuration, it is possible to appropriately produce a printed matter 52 obtained by watermark printing for a wind mark, etc.

[0084] Industrial Applicability

[0085] The present invention can be preferably used for printed materials, for example.

[0086] Description of Reference Numerals

[0087] 10: printing system; 102: head; 104: platen; 106: main scanning drive unit; 108: sub-scanning drive unit; 110: control unit; 12: printing device; 122: inkjet head; 124: ultraviolet light source; 14: control PC; 150: window glass; 202: image layer; 204: transmittance control layer; 206: light reflection layer; 212: transmission image layer; 214: uniform transmittance layer; 302: low transmittance area; 304: medium transmittance area; 306: high transmittance area; 308: transparent area; 50: medium; 52: printed matter.

Claims

1. A printed matter having a plurality of overlapping ink layers, the printed matter comprising: an image layer, which is the ink layer obtained by drawing an image observed from a prescribed observation surface side with ink; and a transmittance adjustment layer formed on the ink layer on the side opposite to the observation surface side with respect to the image layer, in, The transmittance adjustment layer has a low transmittance region and a high transmittance region, and the transmittance of light in the high transmittance region is higher than the transmittance of light in the low transmittance region. When the transmittance adjustment layer is irradiated with light irradiated toward the printed matter from the side opposite to the observation surface side, i.e., back light, the transmittance adjustment layer transmits light through the printed matter in such a manner that an observer observing the image layer from the observation surface side can visually recognize a pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance region. Furthermore, when the transmittance adjustment layer is not irradiated with the back light, the transmittance adjustment layer allows light to pass through the printed matter so that a pattern corresponding to the shape of the high-transmittance region becomes less noticeable.

2. The printed matter according to claim 1, characterized in that The transmittance adjustment layer is a layer formed using light-reflective ink, and the transmittance of the low-transmittance area is made different from the transmittance of the high-transmittance area by making the amount of the light-reflective ink per unit area in the high-transmittance area less than the amount of the light-reflective ink per unit area in the low-transmittance area.

3. The printed matter according to claim 2, characterized in that The transmittance adjustment layer is a layer formed using a colorless and light-transmitting ink, namely, a transparent ink, and is formed so that the amount of the transparent ink per unit area in the high-transmittance region is greater than the amount of the transparent ink per unit area in the low-transmittance region.

4. The printed matter according to claim 2, characterized in that The transmittance adjusting layer further includes a medium transmittance region, wherein the medium transmittance region is a region having a light transmittance higher than that of the low transmittance region and a light transmittance lower than that of the high transmittance region. The amount of the light reflective ink per unit area of ​​the medium-transmittance region is greater than the amount of the light reflective ink per unit area of ​​the high-transmittance region and less than the amount of the light reflective ink per unit area of ​​the low-transmittance region. When the relatively strong back light is irradiated on the transmittance adjustment layer, the transmittance adjustment layer transmits light through the printed matter in such a manner that the observer can visually recognize not only the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance region but also the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium transmittance region. Furthermore, when the transmittance adjustment layer is irradiated with the relatively weak back light, the light is transmitted through the printed matter in such a manner that the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium transmittance region is inconspicuous and the observer can visually recognize the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance region.

5. The printed matter according to claim 4, characterized in that The amount of the light reflective ink in each portion of the medium transmission region is made different according to the color of the coloring at the position corresponding to each portion in the image layer, The amount of the light reflective ink per unit area in the low-transmittance region and the high-transmittance region is set to an amount preset for each region regardless of the color of the image layer.

6. The printed matter according to claim 2, characterized in that The amount of the light reflective ink in each portion of the high-transmittance region is made different according to the color of the coloring at the position corresponding to each portion in the image layer, The amount of the light reflective ink per unit area in the low-transmittance region is set to a predetermined amount regardless of the color used in the image layer.

7. The printed matter according to claim 2, characterized in that The transmittance adjusting layer is a layer having a fixed thickness.

8. The printed matter according to claim 1, characterized in that have: a first image layer overlapping the transmittance adjusting layer at one side of the transmittance adjusting layer in a thickness direction thereof; and The second image layer overlaps the transmittance adjusting layer on the other side of the transmittance adjusting layer in the thickness direction thereof.

9. The printed matter according to claim 1, characterized in that It also includes a light reflecting layer formed of light reflecting ink, The transmittance adjustment layer overlaps the image layer via the light reflection layer.

10. The printed matter according to claim 9, characterized in that The transmittance adjustment layer is a layer formed using light-absorbing ink, and the transmittance of the low-transmittance area is made different from the transmittance of the high-transmittance area by making the amount of the light-absorbing ink per unit area in the high-transmittance area less than the amount of the light-absorbing ink per unit area in the low-transmittance area.

11. The printed matter according to claim 10, characterized in that The transmittance adjusting layer further includes a medium transmittance region, wherein the medium transmittance region is a region having a light transmittance higher than that of the low transmittance region and a light transmittance lower than that of the high transmittance region. The amount of the light-absorbing ink per unit area of ​​the medium-transmittance region is greater than the amount of the light-absorbing ink per unit area of ​​the high-transmittance region and less than the amount of the light-absorbing ink per unit area of ​​the low-transmittance region. When the relatively strong back light is irradiated on the transmittance adjustment layer, the transmittance adjustment layer transmits light through the printed matter in such a manner that the observer can visually recognize not only the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance region but also the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium transmittance region. Furthermore, when the transmittance adjustment layer is irradiated with the relatively weak back light, the light is transmitted through the printed matter in such a manner that the pattern corresponding to the shape of the medium transmittance region is inconspicuous and the observer can visually recognize the pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance region.

12. A method for producing a printed matter, for producing a printed matter, wherein: The printing device ejects ink onto a medium, thereby producing the printed matter having a plurality of overlapping ink layers. The printed matter has: an image layer, which is the ink layer obtained by drawing an image observed from a prescribed observation surface side with ink; and a transmittance adjustment layer formed on the ink layer on the side opposite to the observation surface side with respect to the image layer, in, The transmittance adjustment layer has a low transmittance region and a high transmittance region, and the transmittance of light in the high transmittance region is higher than the transmittance of light in the low transmittance region. When the transmittance adjustment layer is irradiated with light irradiated toward the printed matter from the side opposite to the observation surface side, i.e., back light, the transmittance adjustment layer transmits light through the printed matter in such a manner that an observer observing the image layer from the observation surface side can visually recognize a pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance region. Furthermore, when the transmittance adjustment layer is not irradiated with the back light, the transmittance adjustment layer allows light to pass through the printed matter so that a pattern corresponding to the shape of the high-transmittance region becomes less noticeable.

13. A program for generating printing data for controlling a printing operation of a printing device, wherein the program causes a computer to perform the following processing: an image layer data generation process of generating data representing an image layer, the image layer being an ink layer obtained by drawing an image observed from a predetermined observation surface side, that is, an observation image, with ink; and a transmittance adjustment layer data generation process for generating data representing a transmittance adjustment layer, wherein the transmittance adjustment layer is the ink layer formed on the side opposite to the observation surface side with respect to the image layer, and the transmittance adjustment layer has a low transmittance region and a high transmittance region formed so that the transmittance of light is higher than the transmittance of light in the low transmittance region, in, In the image layer data generation process, data representing the image layer is generated based on image data representing the observed image. In the transmittance adjustment layer data generation process, data representing the transmittance adjustment layer is generated based on image data representing a transmission image that can be seen through a printed matter under predetermined conditions.

14. A printing device for printing, the printing device comprising: an ejection head for ejecting ink; and a control unit that controls the operation of the ejection head, in, The control unit controls the operation of the ejection head to cause the ejection head to produce a printed matter having a plurality of overlapping ink layers. The printed matter has: an image layer, which is the ink layer obtained by drawing an image observed from a prescribed observation surface side with ink; and a transmittance adjustment layer formed on the ink layer on the side opposite to the observation surface side with respect to the image layer, The transmittance adjustment layer has a low transmittance region and a high transmittance region, and the transmittance of light in the high transmittance region is higher than the transmittance of light in the low transmittance region. When the transmittance adjustment layer is irradiated with light irradiated toward the printed matter from the side opposite to the observation surface side, i.e., back light, the transmittance adjustment layer transmits light through the printed matter in such a manner that an observer observing the image layer from the observation surface side can visually recognize a pattern corresponding to the shape of the high transmittance region. Furthermore, when the transmittance adjustment layer is not irradiated with the back light, the transmittance adjustment layer allows light to pass through the printed matter so that a pattern corresponding to the shape of the high-transmittance region becomes less noticeable.

Images