Print product having at least one stamp, and method for producing the print product

Abstract

The invention discloses a print product (100, 101, 102, 103, 104), and a method for producing the print product (100, 101, 102, 103, 104), having at least one stamp (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6), having a substrate (2) which has a stamp region (5) and an edge region (6) at least partially surrounding the stamp region (5), wherein the at least one stamp (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6) is detachably connected to the substrate (2) in the stamp region (5) by means of a stamp separation (7). In order to improve the design freedom and user-friendliness of the print product, it is proposed that the rear side (4) of the substrate (2) has adhesive bonding (8) in the stamp region (5) and is free of adhesive bonding (8) in the edge region (6).

Description

Printed product with at least one postage stamp, and method for producing the printed product

[0001] The present invention relates to a printed product with at least one postage stamp, comprising a substrate which has a stamp area and an edge area at least partially surrounding the stamp area, wherein the at least one stamp in the stamp area is detachably connected to the substrate by a stamp separation.

[0002] Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing the printed product, a system comprising the printed product, and uses of the printed product. State of the art

[0003] Postage stamps are usually produced in the form of stamp sheets or stamp blocks, with the stamp sheets or blocks containing at least one removable stamp in a stamp area. This stamp area is also surrounded by a border area that contains no stamps but, in the case of stamp blocks, may contain additional or supplementary decorations or imprints. The entire back of the stamp sheets or blocks is gummed to allow the removed stamps to be moistened and affixed to a letter.

[0004] When producing such stamp sheets or blocks, a piece of paper that is fully gummed on the back is usually printed with the appropriate imprint on the front and perforated to create the detachable stamps in the paper.

[0005] DE 695 01 948 T2 discloses a customizable, composite postage stamp with identifying elements, i.e., the actual stamp, and additional image-bearing elements. Customizable image-bearing elements can be applied to the identifying elements. However, such image-bearing elements are only suitable for designing the front side. The fully gummed reverse side cannot be designed.

[0006] EP 0 477 169 B1 discloses a composite postage stamp comprising a first part and a second part, wherein the first and second parts can be separated by a perforation. The first part represents the actual postage stamp for affixing to the stamp. a letter. The second part contains machine-readable information about the sender / destination and can be removably attached to the letter. The removably attached part is achieved by inactivating the full-surface gum on the back of the second part by laminating a self-adhesive paper part.

[0007] However, the current practice of full-surface gumming on the back of the printed product containing the stamp severely limits the design options, as only the front side is available for design. However, a high degree of design flexibility is particularly important for adding additional information, such as instructions for use or handling, since additional information must be printed on the printed product in addition to the graphic design. Disclosure of the invention

[0008] The present invention therefore has the object of improving a printed product with at least one postage stamp of the type mentioned at the outset in such a way that its design freedom and user-friendliness are improved.

[0009] The invention solves the stated problem through the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Preferred embodiments emerge from the dependent patent claims and the embodiments presented below.

[0010] According to one aspect of the invention, a printed product with at least one postage stamp is provided, comprising a substrate which has a stamp area and an edge area at least partially surrounding the stamp area, wherein the at least one stamp is detachably connected to the substrate in the stamp area by a stamp separation, and wherein the back of the substrate has a gum in the stamp area and is free of gum in the edge area.

[0011] According to a further aspect of the invention, a method for producing the printed product is provided, in which a stamp separation is introduced into a stamp area of ​​a substrate to form at least one stamp, so that the at least one stamp remains detachably connected to an edge area of ​​the substrate, and in which, in a further step, a gumming is applied to a back of the substrate in the stamp area.

[0012] In the context of the present invention, a postage stamp can be understood as a postage stamp which is provided with a gum on the back and consists of a The substrate is detachable. Furthermore, within the scope of the present invention, the term "value stamp" can also be understood to refer to another value stamp or other value symbol (e.g., revenue stamps, voucher stamps, etc.) that can be detachable from a substrate and has a gummed back. Separation from the substrate is ensured by a stamp separation. After the stamp has been separated from the substrate, the stamp can have perforation, depending on the stamp separation.

[0013] Within the scope of the present invention, the printed product can comprise one or more stamps. In the case of multiple stamps, these can be connected adjacent to one another by a stamp separation. Alternatively, the multiple stamps can also be separated from one another by one or more edge regions in the substrate, so that each of the multiple stamps is surrounded by a border region. According to the invention, a gum coating is applied to the back of all stamps, while the edge region(s) of the substrate on the back are free of gum coating.

[0014] In the context of the present invention, gumming can be understood as any type of adhesion promoter suitable for attaching stamps to a corresponding substrate. The gumming of a stamp generally serves to securely adhere the stamp to an envelope or letter. In particular, gumming in the context of the present invention can be understood as wet gumming or self-adhesive gumming.

[0015] In the context of the present invention, a stamp area can be understood as an area of ​​the printed product in which stamps are formed. The stamp area can consist of several non-contiguous sub-areas that together form the stamp area. The edge area, in turn, can be understood as an area of ​​the printed product in which no stamps are formed and which has no gumming. In addition to the edge and stamp areas, further areas of the printed product can exist, whereby these areas can also have gumming. The boundary contours of the stamp and edge areas can be freely selected.

[0016] If, according to the invention, the back of the substrate has a gum in the stamp area and, at the same time, the back of the substrate is free of gum in the edge area, then both the back and the front of the substrate can be used to design the printed product. By applying the gum on the back Since the embossed pattern is only present in the stamp area, or rather on the stamp itself, the printed product can achieve designs that are not possible with state-of-the-art printed products with a fully gummed backing. Furthermore, the printed product can be produced simply and cost-effectively, as there is no need to inactivate any existing gumming in the edge area (e.g., by gluing over, coating, etc.).

[0017] According to the invention, to produce the printed product, a stamp separation is introduced into the defined stamp area of ​​the substrate to form the at least one stamp. The stamp can be separated from the substrate by the stamp separation, but remains connected to the edge area of ​​the substrate. In a further process step, the gum is then applied to the back of the substrate in the stamp area. As previously described, the edge area remains free of gum.

[0018] Preferably, the at least one stamp is formed by the substrate in such a way that it can be removed by inserting a stamp separator. This allows the stamp to be produced particularly easily and cost-effectively.

[0019] By subsequently applying the gum in a separate process step, easier handling of the printed product according to the invention can be made possible in the further processing steps, since the gum in the stamp area on the back of the substrate can be applied at any time.

[0020] In particular, the substrate can be printed first, and the gum can be applied only afterward. This allows a conventional, simple printing process to be used without any special precautions, as there is no risk of the gum being damaged or activated during the printing process.

[0021] In summary, a printed product with at least one postage stamp can be created using a simple and inexpensive manufacturing process, whereby the printed product can also have a high degree of design freedom.

[0022] Further embodiments of the invention are presented below. Unless otherwise stated, the illustrated embodiments, or individual aspects of the embodiments, can be combined with one another in any way.

[0023] According to one variant, the rubber coating can be applied to the substrate by printing. The printing can be carried out in a separate process step during the production of the printed product using a common printing process (e.g., letterpress, gravure, offset, screen printing, digital printing, etc.).

[0024] According to one embodiment of the invention, the gumming can be a low-density gumming, whereby the gumming consists of a gumming layer that does not cover the entire surface. The gumming can optionally comprise individual islands of gumming layer or holes in the gumming layer, whereby the islands and holes can take on any shape or contour. This further increases the design freedom of the printed product, since even the gumming layer can be freely designed and can contain motifs (patterns or logos, etc.). Furthermore, the low-density gumming can save gumming material, thus making the printed product more cost-effective to produce.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the substrate can have a print on the front and / or back. Preferably, the back of the substrate can be printed in the edge area. This can further enhance the user-friendliness of the printed product, as additional information regarding use, such as operating instructions, can be provided on the back edge area.

[0026] According to one design variant, printing on the front and / or back of the substrate can be done before applying the rubber coating, leaving the entire front and back of the substrate free for printing. Furthermore, no special treatment of the substrate is required during printing, as there is no rubber coating on the substrate that needs to be protected before printing.

[0027] According to one design variant, the stamp can be completely enclosed by the stamp area, meaning the stamp can have a gummed surface across its entire back. Depending on the type of stamp separation, it may be necessary to select a larger area for the stamp area with the gummed surface on the back of the substrate than the stamp itself, so that after the stamp is separated, there are no areas without gummed surface on the back. This increases the reliability of the gummed surface and, in particular, ensures the full-surface adhesion of the stamp.

[0028] According to a further embodiment, the substrate can have a print on the reverse in the stamp area. By applying the gum, preferably in a separate step, to the reverse of the substrate in the stamp area, the substrate can also be printed in the stamp area before the gum is applied. This preferably makes it possible to create a printed product in which a print is provided below the (partial) gum on the reverse. Such a printed product can therefore create a postage stamp which has a print below the gum and can therefore enable a particularly high degree of design variety. Such a postage stamp can, on the one hand, generate high value for collectors and, on the other hand, be distinguished by its high level of user-friendliness, since operating instructions or information can still be contained on the reverse even after the stamp has been removed.

[0029] The rubber coating can be at least partially transparent so that any printing remains visible even after the rubber coating has been applied.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the rubber coating can be a moisture-activated adhesive layer. Suitable adhesive layers include, for example, gum arabic, dextrin, glue, PVA, or similar moisture-activated adhesives.

[0031] According to a further embodiment, the rubber coating can also be a self-adhesive layer. The self-adhesive layer can be covered by a protective layer and activated by separating it from the protective layer.

[0032] According to a further embodiment, the substrate of the printed product can comprise paper, cardboard and / or plastic as the carrier material.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the substrate can have additional plies and / or layers on the front and / or back. This allows for the creation of a printed product with a multi-layer structure, further increasing design freedom.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the invention, the application of further plies and / or layers on the front and / or back of the substrate can take place both before and after the application of the rubber coating.

[0035] According to a further embodiment, the substrate on the back in the stamp area can be free of further layers and / or coatings. For example, the printed product may have an additional covering layer on the back in the edge area, which is left out in the stamp area. The stamp thus only has the gum on the back, but no additional covering layer. The printed product can be reinforced by the additional covering layer in the edge area, for example, and thus offer high stability, which can be particularly suitable for use in trading cards with integrated stamps.

[0036] According to another design variant, the cover layer can be a plastic layer, while the substrate comprises paper as the carrier material. The stamp can thus be made entirely of paper and coated with gum, while the edge area can be coated with plastic. This creates a particularly stable printed product with a high degree of design freedom.

[0037] According to one embodiment of the printed product, at least one layer can comprise an electronic circuit. This makes it possible to create a hybrid printed product with a removable stamp that also comprises an electronic circuit. The circuit can be used, for example, to store data or to authenticate or identify the printed product.

[0038] The inventive design of the printed product with partially applied rubber coating on the reverse enables a wide variety of printed products with different layer structures. A layer containing an electronic circuit can be applied to both the front and back of the substrate.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the electronic circuit can be located in the edge area of ​​the substrate. This is advantageous, for example, if data associated with the printed product is to be stored that should still be readable even after a stamp has been removed or detached.

[0040] According to a further embodiment, the electronic circuit can be provided in the stamp area of ​​the substrate. Thus, the electronic circuit can be applied as an additional layer on the front of the substrate. Alternatively, it is also possible for the electronic circuit to be applied as an additional layer between the substrate and the gum on the underside of the substrate or stamp. The electronic circuit in the stamp itself can contain, for example, data for identification or authenticity verification of the stamp.

[0041] According to a further embodiment, additional layers with electronic circuits can be applied to both the edge area and the stamp area. Furthermore, the electronic circuits in the edge and stamp areas can interact in such a way that the stamp can be clearly identified and assigned to a corresponding printed product (in which it was originally contained before being removed). This makes it possible, for example, for collectors to always determine whether one or more stamps and a border area without stamps originate from one and the same printed product.

[0042] According to one embodiment of the printed product, the electronic circuit can be configured to store machine-readable data and transmit it wirelessly to a receiver. This further increases the design freedom of the printed product, since no contact elements or surfaces for reading the data using a reader need to be provided on the printed product.

[0043] According to another embodiment, the electronic circuit can be designed in the form of an NFC tag. This enables particularly simple and convenient data reading, for example, using a smartphone.

[0044] According to a further embodiment, machine-readable data for the unique identification and / or authenticity verification of the stamp can be stored in the electronic circuit, wherein the data for the unique identification have at least one private key and an incremental counter, and wherein the electronic circuit is designed to generate a hash value from the private key and the counter by means of a cryptographic function and to transmit the hash value to a recipient.

[0045] The electronic circuit therefore contains, in particular, a cryptographic chip that uses a hash function (cryptographic function) to generate a hash value from the counter and the private key. When the electronic circuit is read, the counter is incremented and a new hash value is calculated. The counter value is then transmitted to the recipient along with the hash value. The hash value and / or the counter value can then be compared with a database and / or a blockchain for authenticity verification.

[0046] In addition, the data for the unique identification of the printed product in the electronic circuit can contain a (public) identification code, which is also sent to the recipient when the electronic circuit is read out. is transmitted. Using the identification code, the relevant hash values ​​can be selected from a database for comparison with the calculated hash value, making the authenticity check more secure against forgery.

[0047] According to a further embodiment, at least one layer can have security features. Such security features can preferably contribute to increasing the forgery security of the printed product.

[0048] According to one embodiment, the security feature can be a security label. Such a security label can, for example, be applied over all other layers on the front or back of the printed product and serve to prevent tampering or counterfeiting. The security label can, for example, consist of several layers, with sensitive or secret data or information contained beneath a removable, opaque cover layer. Removing the cover foil can irreversibly destroy the label, making a used or opened security label immediately visible.

[0049] Examples of such security labels include pattern foils (where a pattern remains on the substrate after the label has been removed), void foils (where lettering or text remains on the substrate indicating the invalidity of the label), document foils (which tear into many individual pieces when attempted to be removed), hologram foils (which offer a high level of forgery security) or foils with security punching (which tear along pre-punched lines when attempted to be removed and prevent reassembly).

[0050] According to one embodiment, the printed product can be imprinted with information for unique identification and / or authenticity verification, with the imprint being covered by a tamper-evident, removable security label or contained within a security label. In this way, in addition to or as an alternative to the previously described digital readability of an electronic circuit, purely analog storage of information can also be implemented, enabling unique identification or authenticity verification. The counterfeit security of the printed product can thus be further increased.

[0051] According to the invention, the printed product according to the previously described embodiments is suitable for use as a collector card with an integrated postage stamp.

[0052] The printed product can also be used as a new type of stamp sheet or block according to the previously described variants.

[0053] Furthermore, the printed product is also suitable for use in promotional or gift items, such as beer mats, coasters, cards, brochures, etc., which contain a removable stamp.

[0054] According to the invention, the printed product according to the previously described embodiments can also be used to create a system comprising a printed product with at least one postage stamp, a user device, and a server with a database. The user device can be configured to send data for identifying or authenticating the stamp to the server. The server, in turn, can be configured to receive the data for identifying or authenticating the stamp from the user device and compare the received data with the database to determine the authenticity of the stamp. The result of the authenticity check can then be transmitted from the server back to the user device. Such a system is accordingly capable of verifying the authenticity of a stamp using a user device and thus increasing the security against counterfeiting of the printed product or stamp (i.e., the stamp).

[0055] According to one embodiment, the data for identification or authenticity verification can be automatically captured from the stamp by the user device or manually entered by the user in the user device.

[0056] According to another variant, automatic capture can be performed, for example, by an electronic circuit integrated into the printed product, which sends the stored data to the user device. This provides the user with a particularly convenient and simple authentication process.

[0057] According to a further embodiment, the user device can be configured to receive at least one hash value and one counter value as data from the printed product. Furthermore, the server can be configured to select a private key from the database based on the hash value, calculate a comparison hash value from the private key and the counter value using a cryptographic function, and determine the authenticity of the stamp if the hash value matches the comparison hash value. By comparing the hash value with the database and using cryptographic functions, a particularly forgery-proof system for determining the authenticity of the stamp can be provided. Short description of the characters

[0058] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. They show: Fig. 1 a is a schematic view of the front side of a printed product according to a first embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 b is a schematic view of the back of the printed product from Fig. 1a, Fig. 1 c is a schematic sectional view of the printed product from Fig. 1a, Fig. 2a is a schematic view of the front side of a printed product according to a second embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2b is a schematic view of the back of the printed product from Fig. 2a, Fig. 2c is a schematic sectional view of the printed product from Fig. 2a, Fig. 3a is a schematic view of the front side of a printed product according to a third embodiment of the invention, Fig. 3b is a schematic view of the back of the printed product from Fig. 3a, Fig. 3c is a schematic sectional view of the printed product from Fig. 3a, Fig. 4a is a schematic view of the front side of a printed product according to a fourth embodiment of the invention, Fig. 4b is a schematic view of the back of the printed product from Fig. 4a, Fig. 4c is a schematic sectional view of the printed product from Fig. 4a, Fig. 5a is a schematic view of the front side of a printed product according to a fifth embodiment of the invention, Fig. 5b is a schematic view of the back of the printed product from Fig. 5a, and Fig. 5c is a schematic sectional view of the printed product from Fig. 5a. Ways to implement the invention

[0059] The printed product 100, 101, 102, 103, 104 according to the invention and the method according to the invention are described below using the embodiments shown in the figures. It should be noted that the features of the embodiments shown in the figures can be combined with one another as desired, unless otherwise stated below.

[0060] Figs. 1a to 1c show a printed product 100 with a postage stamp 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. Fig. 1a shows a plan view of the front of the printed product 100, while Fig. 1b shows a plan view of its back. Fig. 1c shows a schematic sectional view along the line 11 through the printed product 100. The sectional view is not to scale; the Thickness of the printed product 100 is shown greatly enlarged for better understanding.

[0061] The printed product 100 comprises a paper substrate 2 with a front side 3 and a back side 4. The postage stamp 1 is formed in the substrate 2 in the printed product 100 in a stamp area 5 by introducing stamp separations 7 into the substrate 2. The stamp area 5, which completely encompasses the stamp 1, is surrounded by a border area 6 in which no stamps 1 are provided.

[0062] In the stamp area 5, the substrate 2 is provided on the reverse side 4 with a gum 8, which was applied to the substrate 2 in the form of an adhesive layer 9 by printing. The gum 8 is designed as a wet gum, which can be activated by moisture.

[0063] The stamp separation 7 is, as shown in Figs. 1a to 1c, designed as a perforation 10, wherein a horizontal perforation 10.1 and a vertical perforation 10.2 are alternately introduced into the substrate 2 by punching holes, thus creating the stamp separation 7. The stamp 1 can then be separated from the printed product 100 along the perforation 10 and, for example, affixed to a letter as a postage stamp for franking.

[0064] On both the front side 3 and the back side 4, prints 11 are provided on the substrate 2. The prints 11 are provided in the edge area 6 and in the stamp area 5. Furthermore, on the back side 4 of the substrate 2, in the stamp area 5, a print 11 is applied below the gum 8. The gum 8 consists of a substantially transparent adhesive layer 9, which allows the print 11 to be visible through the gum 8.

[0065] The printed product 100 also has machine-readable data 12 in the form of a QR code 13 on the back 4 of the substrate 2 in the edge area 6. The QR code 13 can, for example, store data for uniquely identifying or authenticating the printed product 100 and / or the postage stamp 1. Likewise, the data 12 can contain hyperlinks that refer to a website for further display of information (e.g., operating instructions or user information). For this purpose, the QR code 13 can be easily scanned and read using the user's smartphone, thus displaying the data or accessing the website.

[0066] To produce the printed product 100, the substrate 2 is first printed with the prints 11. In a second step, the gum 8 in the form of a Adhesive layer 9 is applied by printing. In a third step, the stamp separator 7 is then introduced into the substrate 2 by punching holes in the form of perforations 10, whereby the finished detachable stamp 1 is formed in the substrate 2.

[0067] As can be seen in Figs. 1a and 1b, the printed product 100 according to the first embodiment variant is designed as a collector card 200 with integrated postage stamp 1.

[0068] Figs. 2a to 2c show a printed product 101 with two postage stamps 1.1, 1.2 according to a second embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2a again shows a plan view of the front side 3 of the printed product 101, and Fig. 2b a plan view of its back side 4. Fig. 2c shows a schematic sectional view along the line I-I through the printed product 101. The sectional view is again shown greatly enlarged in the thickness of the printed product 101.

[0069] In contrast to the printed product 100 according to the first embodiment, which was previously described with reference to Figures 1a to 1c, the printed product 101 according to the second embodiment now has two stamps 1.1, 1.2 instead of one stamp 1. Furthermore, the backs of the stamps 1.1, 1.2 are free of imprints 11.

[0070] Furthermore, the rubber coating 8 is designed as a space-saving rubber coating, with the rubber coating layer 9 having holes 9.1 in the shape of stars. The rubber coating layer 9 is thus not completely opaque, but can save rubber material. Furthermore, any design of the rubber coating 8 with holes 9.1 (shown as stars in the example) and islands 9.2 is possible.

[0071] As can be seen in Figs. 2a to 2c, the printed product 101 according to the second embodiment variant is designed as a stamp sheet 300 with several stamps 1.1, 1.2.

[0072] For a further description of the features of the printed product 101, reference is made to the above description of the printed product 100 with reference to Figs. 1a to 1c, since these differ only in the features expressly described with reference to Figs. 2a to 2c.

[0073] Figures 3a to 3c show a printed product 102 with a postage stamp 1.3 according to a third embodiment of the invention. The printed product 102 is designed as a beer mat 400 or coaster 400 with an integrated and removable postage stamp 1.3.

[0074] Fig. 3a shows a plan view of the front side and Fig. 3b shows a plan view of the back side of the printed product 102. Fig. 3c, in turn, shows a sectional view of the printed product 102 along line II, greatly enlarged in thickness.

[0075] The printed product 102 comprises a cardboard substrate 2, with an additional layer 14 applied to the front side 3 and the back side 4 of the substrate 2, as can be seen in the sectional view of Fig. 3c. The additional layers 14 are provided over the entire surface of both sides of the substrate 2 and thus extend over both the stamp area 5 and the edge area 6 of the printed product 102.

[0076] Stamp separators 7 are again incorporated into the substrate 2 and the layers 14, completely penetrating all layers to enable easy removal of the stamp 1.3. The additional layers 14 are thus also applied to the stamp 1.3 itself, both on the front side 3 and the back side 4. The stamp separators 7 are again designed as perforations 10.

[0077] The layers 14 are designed as cover layers 15, to which the prints 11 are applied. The cover layers 15 serve to improve printability, since the substrate 2 (cardboard) is too absorbent and rough to be printed with high resolution. Furthermore, the cover layers 15 can prevent or reduce the penetration of liquid into the printed product 102, which is particularly advantageous when used as a beer mat 400 or coaster 400. The cover layers 15 can be paper or plastic layers.

[0078] In the case of the printed product 102, the stamp area 5 is larger than the stamp 1.3 itself. The gum 8 on the reverse side 4 of the printed product 102 is applied to the entire stamp area 5 in the form of an adhesive layer 9 by a printing process on the layer 14. This always ensures that the stamp 1.3 has the gum 8 over its entire surface on its reverse side 4 after removal and that—particularly in the area of ​​the perforation 10—no areas are left without gum 8. The gum 8 is, in turn, a wet gum that can be activated by moistening.

[0079] On both the front side 3 and the back side 4, imprints 11 are provided on the layers 14 above the substrate 2. The imprints 11 extend into the stamp area 5 and the edge area 6 on the front side 3 and back side 4. The imprint 11 on the back side 4 of the stamp 1.3 is on the layer 14, but below the rubber coating 8. The rubber coating 8 is essentially transparent, so that the print 11 remains visible despite the rubber coating 8.

[0080] To produce the printed product 102, the substrate 2 is first coated on both sides with layers 14. This can be done by gluing, lamination, or laminating the layers 14. After the layers 14 have been applied, the front and back of the printed product 102 are printed on the layers 14 with the imprints 11. In a further step, the gum 8 is applied in the stamp area 5 over the layer 14 on the back 4 of the substrate 2 in a printing process. Finally, the stamp separation 7 in the form of the perforations 10 can be introduced into the printed product 102 by punching holes to create the stamp 1.3 in a removable manner.

[0081] Figs. 4a to 4c again show a printed product 103 with a postage stamp 1.4 according to a fourth embodiment of the invention. Fig. 4a again shows a plan view of the front of the printed product 103, while Fig. 4b shows a plan view of its back. Fig. 4c shows a schematic sectional view, enlarged in thickness, along line II through the printed product 103.

[0082] For a general description of the features of the printed product 103, reference is made to the above description of the printed product 100 based on Figs. 1a to 1c, since these differ only in the features described below.

[0083] The printed product 103 has in the stamp area 5 a stamp 1.4 formed by the stamp separations 7 in the substrate 2, which can be separated from the printed product 103 along the perforation 10.

[0084] A layer 14 in the form of a cover layer 15 is applied to the front side 3 of the substrate 2, which in turn is provided with the imprints 11. The back side 4 of the substrate 2, in turn, directly has imprints 11 without being provided with an additional layer. No imprint 11 is applied to the back of the stamp 1.4 itself, i.e., in the stamp area 5 of the back side 4 of the substrate 2.

[0085] The layer 14 has a recess 16 in the stamp area 5, in which no further layer is applied on the front side 3 of the substrate 2. The thickness of the printed product 103 thus varies along the front side, wherein the printed product 103 in the stamp area 5 consists only of the substrate 2 and the gum 8 located thereon, and the stamp 1.4 itself is also formed only by the substrate 2 and the gum 8. Thus, it can be achieved that the stamp 1.4 is not stiffened by additional layers and, for example, only consists of stamp paper, while in the edge area 6 a multi-layer structure of the printed product 103 can be provided.

[0086] Between substrate 2 and layer 15, a further layer 17 is provided, which has an electronic circuit 18. Layer 17 with the electronic circuit 18 also has the recess 16.

[0087] To produce the printed product 103, the substrate is first provided with the imprints 11 on the front side 3 in the stamp area 5 and on the back side 4 in the edge area 6. In a further step, a layer 17 with an electronic circuit is provided with a punch and positioned over the substrate 2 such that it has a recess 16 in the stamp area 5. Subsequently, a further layer 14 is provided with a punch and also positioned over the substrate 2 and on the layer 17 such that both the layer 17 and the layer 14 have a recess 16 in the stamp area 5. Subsequently, the layer 14 is provided with the imprints 11 in the edge area 6. Finally, the gumming 8 is applied to the back of the substrate 2.

[0088] The electronic circuit 18 in layer 17 can be designed as an NFC tag and store machine-readable data that can be wirelessly read by a user, for example, using a smartphone as a user device. For example, data for the unique identification and / or authenticity verification of the postage stamp 1.4 or the printed product 103 can be stored in the electronic circuit 18.

[0089] In addition, the electronic circuit 18 has a cryptographic chip that can calculate a hash value from a stored private key and a stored counter value using a cryptographic function. When the circuit 18 is read by a user device, the counter value is incremented and the hash value is recalculated. Both the counter value and the hash value are then sent to the user device.

[0090] The user device can now send the received data to a server for authenticity verification or identification, which compares the data with a database and thus determines whether it is a genuine printed product 103.

[0091] Together with the printed product 103, the user device, the server and the database thus form a system for authenticating or identifying the printed product 103.

[0092] The printed product 103 shown in Figs. 4a to 4c according to a fourth embodiment of the invention thus forms a “smart” stamp block 500 with the possibility of electronic authentication or unambiguous identification.

[0093] Figs. 5a to 5c show a printed product 104 with two postage stamps 1.5, 1.6 according to a fifth embodiment of the invention. Fig. 5a shows a plan view of the front of the printed product 104, and Fig. 4b shows a plan view of its back. Fig. 5c shows a schematic sectional view, enlarged in thickness, along line 11 through the printed product 104.

[0094] The printed product 104 according to Figs. 5a to 5c forms, as previously described for Figs. 4a to 4c, a “smart” stamp block 600 with the possibility of electronic authentication or unique identification.

[0095] As can be seen in Fig. 5a, the substrate 2 has two stamp areas 5 separated from each other by the edge area 6. In each of the stamp areas 5, a stamp 1.5, 1.6 is formed from the substrate 2 by stamp separations 7. The stamp separations 7 are designed as perforations 19. The pattern of the perforations 19 can be freely selected. In the printed product 104, the perforations 19 are designed as sawtooth or wave perforations. The perforations 19 as stamp separations 7 make it easier to remove the stamps 1.5, 1.6 from the printed product 104.

[0096] To facilitate removal of the stamps, tab recesses 20 are provided in the substrate 2, whereby a user can easily reach into a tab recess 20 with a finger and lift the stamp 1.5, 1.6.

[0097] The substrate 2 is in turn provided with a gummed layer 8 on its reverse side 4, which is applied as an adhesive layer 9 in the stamp area 5. However, in the present embodiment, the reverse side of the stamps 1.5, 1.6 is not freely accessible or exposed, but rather covered by a further layer 14.1. The layer 14.1 is connected to the substrate 2 on its reverse side 4 in the edge area 6. The connection between layer 14.1 and substrate 2 can be achieved, for example, via an adhesive layer 21, which is applied exclusively in the edge area 6 of the substrate 2; the reverse side 4 of the substrate 2 in the stamp area 5 remains free, so that there is no connection between the layer 14.1 and the stamps 1.5, 1.6, and these can be freely removed from the substrate 2.

[0098] The additional layer 14.1 protects the stamps 1.5, 1.6 with their moisture-activated gum 8, so that an unintentional Moistening and activating the gum 8 before removing the stamps 1.5, 1 .6 is prevented.

[0099] On the reverse side of the printed product 104, a further layer 14.2 is also applied as a cover layer 15, with an additional layer 17 containing an electronic circuit 18 being provided between layers 14.1 and 14.2. Regarding the features of the electronic circuit 18, reference is made to the above explanations regarding Figs. 4a to 4c, which are also applicable to the present embodiment.

[0100] The front side 3 of the substrate 2 in the edge region 6 and in the stamp region 5 can in turn have imprints 11. In addition, an imprint can be provided on the back side 4 of the substrate 2 in the stamp region 5, i.e., beneath the gum 8, so that after the stamp 1.5, 1.6 has been removed, an imprint 11 is visible beneath the gum 8. In addition, imprints 11 can be provided beneath the stamps on the layer 14.1, which become visible after the stamps 1.5, 1.6 have been removed. However, these imprints 11 on the back of the stamps 1.5, 1.6 and beneath the stamps 1.5, 1.6 are not shown in detail in Figures 5a to 5c. Finally, further imprints 11 can be provided on the cover layer 15 on the back of the printed product 104.

[0101] The printed product 104 also has a security label 22 on its reverse side, on the cover layer 15, which contains data for identifying or verifying the authenticity of the printed product 104 or the stamps 1.5, 1.6. This data is concealed by an opaque, removable layer 23. Upon initial removal of layer 23, a print 24 remains, which cannot be undone. Layer 23 is designed as a pattern foil or void foil.

[0102] To produce the printed product 104, the stamp separations 7 are first introduced into the substrate 2 as punctures 19 and the holes for the tab recesses 20 are punched out. In the next step, imprints 11 are applied to the front side 3 of the substrate 2. In a further step, the gum 8 is applied to the back side 4 of the substrate 2 in the stamp area 5. In yet another step, the layers 14.1, 17 and 14.2 are applied to the back side 4 of the substrate 2 and connected to it in the edge area 6. The layers 14.1, 17, 14.2 can be applied to the substrate 2 one after the other, or alternatively, they can be previously assembled to form a layer composite, which is then connected to the substrate 2 in one step. Finally, the security label 22 can be provided on the back of the printed product 104 and can be irremovably connected to the layer 14.2.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Printed product with at least one postage stamp (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6), comprising a substrate (2) which has a stamp area (5) and an edge area (6) at least partially surrounding the stamp area (5), wherein the at least one postage stamp (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6) is detachably connected to the substrate (2) in the stamp area (5) by a stamp separation (7), characterized in that the back (4) of the substrate (2) has a gum (8) in the stamp area (6) and is free of gum (8) in the edge area (6).

2. Printed product according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one postage stamp (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6) is formed by the substrate (2) and is substantially completely encompassed by the postage stamp area (5).

3. Printed product according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the substrate (2) has a print (11) on the back (4) in the stamp area (5), in particular under the gum (8).

4. Printed product according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the gumming (8) is a moisture-activatable adhesive layer (9), in particular comprising gum arabic, dextrin, glue, or PVA.

5. Printed product according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the substrate (2) comprises paper, cardboard and / or plastic as carrier material.

6. Printed product according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the substrate (2) has further plies (14, 14.1, 14.2, 17) and / or layers on the front and / or back, wherein in particular the substrate (2) on the back (4) in the stamp area (5) is free of further plies (14, 14.1, 14.2, 17) and / or layers.

7. Printed product according to claim 6, characterized in that at least one layer (17) has an electronic circuit (18).

8. Printed product according to claim 7, characterized in that the electronic circuit (18), in particular in the form of an NFC tag, is designed to store machine-readable data and to send it wirelessly to a receiver.

9. Printed product according to claim 8, characterized in that machine-readable data for the unambiguous identification and / or authenticity verification of the postage stamp (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6) are stored in the electronic circuit (18). wherein the data for unique identification comprises at least a private key and an incremental counter, and wherein the electronic circuit (18) is designed to generate a hash value from the private key and the counter by means of a cryptographic function and to transmit the hash value to a receiver.

10. Printed product according to one of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that at least one layer (23) has security features and in particular forms a security label (22).

11. Printed product according to claim 10, characterized in that the security label (22) has an imprint (11) with information for the unambiguous identification and / or authenticity check of the postage stamp (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6), wherein the imprint (11) is covered by the tamper-evident removable layer (23).

12. Use of a printed product according to one of claims 1 to 11 as a trading card (200), as a stamp sheet (300), as a stamp block (400, 600) or as a beer mat (400).

13. System comprising a printed product (100, 101, 102, 103, 104) with at least one postage stamp (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6) according to one of claims 1 to 11, a user device and a server with a database, wherein the user device is configured to send data for identification or authenticity verification of the postage stamp (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6) to the server, and wherein the server is configured to compare the data for identification or authenticity verification with the database in order to determine the authenticity of the postage stamp (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6) and to send the result of the authenticity verification to the user device to transmit.

14. System according to claim 13, characterized in that the user device is configured to receive data for identification or authenticity verification of the postage stamp (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6) from an electronic circuit in the printed product (100, 101, 102, 103, 104) and to send it to the server.

15. System according to claim 14, characterized in that the user device is set up to receive at least one hash value and one counter value as data from the printed product (100, 101, 102, 103, 104), and in that the server is set up to select a private key from the database based on the hash value, to calculate a comparison hash value from the private key and the counter value by means of a cryptographic function and Matching the hash value with the comparison hash value to determine the authenticity of the stamp (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6).

16. Method for producing a printed product (100, 101, 102, 103, 104), in which a stamp separation (7) is introduced into a stamp area (5) of a substrate (2) to form at least one stamp (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6), so that the at least one stamp (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6) remains detachably connected to an edge area (6) of the substrate (2), and in which in a further step a gumming (8) is applied to a back side (4) of the substrate (2) in the stamp area (5).

17. Method according to claim 16, characterized in that the rubber coating (8) is applied to the substrate (2) by printing.

18. Method according to claim 16 or 17, characterized in that the substrate (2) is printed on its front side (3) and / or back side (4) before the rubber coating (8) is applied.

19. Method according to one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that before and / or after the application of the gum (8) further layers (14, 14.1, 14.2, 17) are applied to the front side (3) and / or back side (4) of the substrate (2), wherein in particular no further layers (14, 14.1, 14.2, 17) or layers are applied to the back side (4) of the substrate (2) in the stamp area (5).

20. Method according to claim 19, characterized in that at least one layer (17) with electronic circuits (18) is applied to the substrate (2).

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