Printed matter and printing method

Abstract

To provide printed matter and a printing method that are able to increase the areas appearing glossy.SOLUTION: The printed matter comprises: a substrate; an image layer 200 formed on the substrate using colored ink; and a line pattern 300 formed on the image layer 200 with transparent ink and consisting of multiple non-intersecting fine lines 310. The width of each fine line 310 in the direction in which the fine lines 310 neighbor each other is 120 μm or more.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printed matter and a printing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses the configuration of a printed card that, by laminating a transparent layer (a transparent plastic sheet or an ultraviolet-curing adhesive layer) on top of a printed layer, produces an image with a metallic shine and depth and three-dimensionality as if reflected in a mirror. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-24617 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, when the transparent layer laminated on top of the printed layer is a flat layer, light incident on the transparent layer is reflected at a reflection angle equal to the angle of incidence and reaches the observer, resulting in a problem that the angle at which the observer can see the specularly reflected light from the light source is very narrow, and there are few areas that appear sparkling, i.e., glossy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The printed matter has a substrate, an image layer formed on the substrate using colored inks, and a line pattern formed on the image layer using transparent ink, with multiple non-intersecting thin lines, and the width of the thin lines in the direction in which the multiple thin lines are adjacent to each other is 120 μm or more.

[0006] The printing method includes the steps of forming an image layer on a substrate using colored inks, and forming a series of lines, including a plurality of non-intersecting thin lines, on the image layer using transparent ink, wherein the width of the thin lines in the direction in which the plurality of thin lines are adjacent to each other is 120 μm or more. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a printing apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] A cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the print shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing a printing method. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a printed matter according to a modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a printed matter according to a modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a configuration of a printed matter according to a modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a configuration of a printed matter according to a modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a configuration of a printed matter according to a modified example. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB shown in FIG. 10 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] The configuration of a printing device 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0009] As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 1 of this embodiment has a payout spindle 20 that pays out a substrate 100 such as printing paper, a transport section 30 that transports the substrate 100, a printing section 50 that prints on the substrate 100 transported by the transport section 30, a take-up spindle 40 that winds up the printed printed matter 1000, and a control section 10 that controls the operation of each section of the printing device 1.

[0010] In the printing device 1, a long substrate 100 (including a printed matter 1000) wound in a roll shape around a payout spindle 20 and a take-up spindle 40 is stretched along a transport path Pc. The substrate 100 is transported in a transport direction Ds by a rotating drum 35 provided between the payout spindle 20 and the take-up spindle 40, and an image is printed on the substrate 100.

[0011] The types of the substrate 100 are broadly classified into paper-based and film-based. Specific examples of the paper-based materials include fine paper, cast paper, art paper, coated paper, etc., while the film-based materials include synthetic paper, PET (Polyethylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), etc.

[0012] The printing device 1 is made up of three areas: a pay-out area 2 that pays out the substrate 100 from a pay-out spool 20, a process area 3 that records an image layer 200 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) on the substrate 100 paid out from the pay-out area 2, and a take-up area 4 that takes up the printed matter 1000, on which the image layer has been recorded in the process area 3, onto a take-up spool 40. In the following description, of the two sides of the substrate 100, the side on which the image layer 200 is recorded is referred to as the front side, and the opposite side is referred to as the back side.

[0013] The payout area 2 has a payout spindle 20 around which one end of the substrate 100 is wound, and a driven roller 21 around which the substrate 100 pulled out from the payout spindle 20 is wound. The payout spindle 20 supports one end of the substrate 100 by winding it therearound with the surface of the substrate 100 facing outward. As the payout spindle 20 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1, the substrate 100 wound around the payout spindle 20 is paid out via the driven roller 21 to the process area 3.

[0014] The driven roller 21 comes into contact with the substrate 100 and rotates in the transport direction Ds of the substrate 100 due to the frictional force between the driven roller 21 and the substrate 100 being transported. The substrate 100 is wound around the payout spindle 20 via a core tube 22 that is detachable from the payout spindle 20. When the substrate 100 on the payout spindle 20 is used up, a new core tube 22 around which a roll of substrate 100 is wound is attached to the payout spindle 20.

[0015] The process area 3 has a transport section 30 and a printing section 50 that performs printing on the substrate 100 transported by the transport section 30. The transport section 30 is provided with a front drive roller 31, a rotating drum 35 that supports the substrate 100 in a cylindrical shape, and a rear drive roller 32. The printing section 50 is provided with recording heads 51 and 52 and UV irradiators 61, 62, and 63.

[0016] In the processing area 3, the substrate 100 fed out from the feed area 2 is supported by a rotating drum 35, and the substrate 100 is appropriately processed by recording heads 51, 52 and UV irradiators 61, 62, 63 arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 35, and an image layer 200 is recorded on the substrate 100.

[0017] A front drive roller 31 that transports the substrate 100 toward the rotating drum 35 is provided upstream of the process area 3. A rear drive roller 32 that transports the substrate 100 toward the winding shaft 40 is provided downstream of the process area 3. The rotating drum 35 supports the substrate 100 that is transported from the front drive roller 31 to the rear drive roller 32.

[0018] The front drive roller 31 is cylindrical or columnar with a plurality of minute protrusions formed by thermal spraying on its outer circumferential surface, and wraps the back surface of the substrate 100 fed out of the feed region 2. The front drive roller 31 rotates clockwise in Fig. 1, whereby the substrate 100 fed out of the feed region 2 is transported downstream of the transport path Pc.

[0019] A nip roller 31n is provided facing the front driving roller 31. The nip roller 31n comes into contact with the surface of the substrate 100 while being biased toward the front driving roller 31, and sandwiches the substrate 100 between the front driving roller 31 and the nip roller 31n. This ensures friction between the front driving roller 31 and the substrate 100, and allows the front driving roller 31 to reliably transport the substrate 100.

[0020] The rotating drum 35 is a rotatably supported cylindrical drum, and wraps the back surface of the substrate 100 transported from the front drive roller 31 to the rear drive roller 32. The rotating drum 35 supports the substrate 100 from the back surface and rotates in the transport direction Ds of the substrate 100 by receiving a frictional force between the rotating drum 35 and the transported substrate 100.

[0021] In the process area 3, driven rollers 33 and 34 are provided that change the traveling direction of the substrate 100 on both sides in the transport direction Ds of the area where the substrate 100 is wrapped around the rotating drum 35. The driven roller 33 wraps the surface of the substrate 100 between the front drive roller 31 and the rotating drum 35 in the transport direction Ds, and turns back the traveling direction of the substrate 100 toward the rotating drum 35.

[0022] The driven roller 34 wraps the surface of the substrate 100 between the rotating drum 35 and the rear drive roller 32 in the conveying direction Ds, and turns back the traveling direction of the substrate 100. By turning back the substrate 100 on both the upstream side and the downstream side of the conveying direction Ds with respect to the rotating drum 35, it is possible to ensure a long winding length of the substrate 100 around the rotating drum 35.

[0023] The rear drive roller 32 is cylindrical or columnar with a plurality of small protrusions formed by thermal spraying on its outer circumferential surface, and winds the substrate 100, which has been transported from the rotating drum 35 via the driven roller 34, from the back side. The rear drive roller 32 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1, whereby the substrate 100 is transported to the winding region 4. A nip roller 32n is provided opposite the rear drive roller 32.

[0024] The nip roller 32n comes into contact with the surface of the substrate 100 while being biased toward the rear driving roller 32, and sandwiches the substrate 100 between itself and the rear driving roller 32. This ensures a frictional force between the rear driving roller 32 and the substrate 100, and allows the rear driving roller 32 to reliably transport the substrate 100.

[0025] In this manner, the substrate 100 transported from the front drive roller 31 to the rear drive roller 32 is supported on the outer circumferential surface of the rotating drum 35. In the process area 3, a plurality of recording heads 51 corresponding to different colors are provided to print a color image on the surface of the substrate 100 supported by the rotating drum 35. In this embodiment, four recording heads 51 are arranged in the transport direction Ds.

[0026] Each recording head 51 faces the surface of the substrate 100 wrapped around the rotating drum 35 with a small clearance therebetween, and ejects ink of the corresponding color from nozzles of the recording head 51 onto the substrate 100 by an inkjet method. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the printing device 1 of this embodiment uses ultraviolet-curable ink that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays, and forms an image layer 200 on the substrate 100. Hereinafter, the ultraviolet-curable ink will also be referred to as UV ink.

[0027] In the process area 3, UV irradiators 61 and 62 are provided to cure the ink and fix it on the substrate 100. Curing of the ink is carried out in two stages: provisional curing and full curing. The provisional curing UV irradiator 61 is disposed between each of the recording heads 51. The UV irradiator 61 irradiates ultraviolet light with a weak irradiation intensity to provisionally cure the ink to such an extent that the ink spreads sufficiently slower than when no ultraviolet light is irradiated. This prevents color mixing, such as the mixing of different colored inks.

[0028] A UV irradiator 62 for main curing is provided downstream in the transport direction Ds from the multiple recording heads 51. The UV irradiator 62 main cures the ink to the extent that the ink stops spreading by irradiating ultraviolet light with a stronger irradiation intensity than the UV irradiator 61. The color image formed by the multiple recording heads 51 is main cured by the UV irradiator 62 and fixed to the substrate 100.

[0029] A recording head 52 is provided downstream of the UV irradiator 62 in the transport direction Ds. This recording head 52 faces the surface of the substrate 100 wrapped around the rotating drum 35 with a small clearance, and ejects UV ink that does not contain coloring material from nozzles onto the substrate 100 by an inkjet method. Hereinafter, the UV ink that does not contain coloring material is also referred to as transparent ink 320 (see FIG. 4). In other words, the transparent ink 320 is further ejected onto the image layer 200 formed by the recording head 51.

[0030] A UV irradiator 63 is provided downstream of the recording head 52 in the transport direction Ds. This UV irradiator 63 irradiates ultraviolet light with a stronger irradiation intensity than the UV irradiator 61, thereby fully curing the transparent ink 320 ejected by the recording head 52. This allows the transparent ink 320 to be fixed on the surface of the substrate 100.

[0031] The printing device 1 of this embodiment uses transparent ink 320 to form lines 300 in a shape having a cross-sectional shape that is a part of a non-circular arc that approximates an ellipse (see FIG. 3). In this manner, in the process area 3, ink is ejected and cured appropriately onto the substrate 100 that is wrapped around the outer periphery of the rotating drum 35. The substrate 100 (also referred to as the printed matter 1000) is transported to the winding area 4 by the rear drive roller 32.

[0032] The winding region 4 has, in addition to the winding shaft 40 around which the other end of the substrate 100 is wound, a driven roller 41 that winds the substrate 100 from the back surface side between the winding shaft 40 and the rear drive roller 32. The winding shaft 40 winds and supports the other end of the substrate 100 with the front surface of the substrate 100 facing outward.

[0033] 1, the substrate 100 conveyed from the rear drive roller 32 is wound onto the winding shaft 40 via the driven roller 41. The substrate 100 is wound onto the winding shaft 40 via a core tube 42 that is detachable from the winding shaft 40. Therefore, when the winding shaft 40 is filled with the substrate 100, the substrate 100 can be removed together with the core tube 42.

[0034] Next, the configuration of the printed matter 1000 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0035] 2 and 3, the printed matter 1000 has an image layer 200 printed with colored ink laminated on a substrate 100. On the image layer 200, a line 300 having a plurality of thin lines 310 printed with transparent ink 320 is printed.

[0036] Examples of colored inks include cyan, magenta, yellow, black, red, green, orange, and blue, as well as color inks that are specially formulated. The image layer 200 has lines such as characters and patterns.

[0037] As described above, the lines 300 made of transparent ink 320 are composed of a plurality of non-intersecting thin lines 310. Specifically, the lines 300 are formed on the image layer 200, for example, as concentric arcs, with a plurality of thin lines 310 made of transparent ink 320 at equal intervals. Note that the lines 300 may be composed of a plurality of thin lines 310 that are a combination of parallel lines, concentric circles, or free curves at equal intervals.

[0038] The cross section of the printed transparent ink 320 rises in a semicircular shape on the image layer 200 due to surface tension, but gravity causes the center to sink, resulting in a shape roughly resembling an ellipsoidal spheroid, except for the area in contact with the substrate 100 .

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, the width W1 of the thin wires 310 in the direction in which the thin wires 310 are adjacent to each other is 120 μm or more and 700 μm or less. Since the width W1 of the thin wires 310 is 120 μm or more, it is possible to suppress the inclusion of flat parts in the surface shape of the thin wires 310, and it is possible to widen the viewing angle relative to the incident angle of light. Therefore, even when viewed from various angles, the regular reflection light of the light source is visible over a wide range, that is, it is possible to increase the glossy area, and the glossiness can be increased. Furthermore, since the width W1 of the thin wires 310 is narrower than 700 μm, the image layer 200 can be viewed even when the viewing angle changes while maintaining various reflection angles.

[0040] The distance W2 between the adjacent first thin line 310a and second thin line 310b among the multiple thin lines 310 is, for example, 20 μm, in other words, an integer multiple of 10 μm. In order to realize a distance that does not allow adjacent thin lines 310 to contact each other in reality, it is also affected by the possible resolution of the printing device that prints the thin lines 310. For example, the printing resolution of general offset printing is about 2400 dpi, and the dot interval is about 10 μm. Basically, in order to prevent adjacent dots from contacting each other, the dot interval that can be expressed by the printing device, that is, in a printing device with a resolution of about 2400 dpi, the distance W2 between the adjacent first thin line 310a and second thin line 310b can be set to 10 μm to prevent contact between the thin lines 310. Furthermore, in order to reliably prevent contact by taking into account the spread of ink, a gap of about twice the dot interval based on the printing resolution may be guaranteed.

[0041] Of course, the distance W2 between the adjacent first thin line 310a and second thin line 310b among the multiple thin lines 310 is not limited to 20 μm. The printing method is also not limited to the offset printing described above. For example, in an inkjet printer with a printing resolution of 360 lpi, one dot is about 35 to 40 μm, and the distance between adjacent thin lines 310 is about twice the resolution of the inkjet printer used for printing, and if an interval of about 70 μm is provided, it is possible to prevent the first thin line 310a and the second thin line 310b from being connected, and the viewing angle for the incident angle of light can be widened.

[0042] As described above, the lines 300 are preferably made of ultraviolet-curable ink. Since the lines 300 are thus formed using ultraviolet-curable ink, it becomes possible to three-dimensionally cure the fine lines 310, and to form them into a shape that includes a noncircular arc that approximates an ellipse.

[0043] Next, the shape of the thin lines 310, specifically the visual effect of the lines 300, will be described with reference to FIG.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 4, thin lines 310 made of transparent ink 320 are printed on the image layer 200. The thin lines 310 can be formed into a flat shape with a large eccentricity by appropriately selecting the amount of transparent ink 320. The width W1 of the thin lines 310 is desirably 85 µm or more, which corresponds to the resolution of near vision of 1.0 at which the thin lines can be recognized as lines, and more effectively, desirably 120 µm or more, which is about 1.5 times wider than the resolution of near vision of 1.0.

[0045] Near vision is the ability to distinguish two points 30 cm apart as two points. Near vision of 1.0 is the ability to distinguish two points that make up 1 minute of visual angle, which is 1 / 60 degrees. 30 cm is close to the distance at which a person reads a printed material such as a book, and near vision of 1.0 is sufficient for everyday life.

[0046] As described above, the reason why the width W1 of the thin line 310 is set to 120 μm or more is as follows: When the width W1 is 85 μm, with a resolution of near vision of 1.0, only the specularly reflected light from the thin line is visible, and the image layer 200 formed below the thin line 310 may not be visible. Therefore, if the width W1 is 120 μm or more, which is about 1.5 times the near vision, the image layer 200 can be seen in addition to the specularly reflected light from the thin line.

[0047] When the width W1 of the transparent ink 320 becomes large, the cross-sectional shape of the transparent ink 320 becomes flattened by its own weight and becomes elliptical, and the horizontal portion of the upper surface increases, losing various reflection angles, so in the sensory test, the width W1 is effective to be about 700 μm or less. The height W3 of the transparent ink 320 is preferably, for example, about 5 μm to 15 μm.

[0048] 4, the transparent ink 320 has a smooth surface and is free of pigments or other factors that cause diffuse reflection inside, so the surface is prone to regular reflection and has a glossy appearance. By printing the transparent ink 320 on the image layer 200, the cross section of the transparent ink 320 has a shape that is close to the cross section of an ellipsoidal spheroid with a large eccentricity.

[0049] When the transparent ink 320 has a width W1 of 85 μm and a height W3 of 10 μm, the inclination of the tangent at 90% of the width W1 is approximately ±20°, the inclination of the tangent at 10% of the width W1 is approximately ±1.5°, and the inclination near the center is almost flat at 0°.

[0050] A light ray B1 incident from a light source L at an incident angle of -30° is observed as a light ray B2 specularly reflected at the center P1 of the cross section by an observer O1 on the opposite side of the center of the cross section, that is, with a line of sight angle of 30°.

[0051] Here, if the observer moves to position O2 and changes the line of sight angle to 70°, light ray B1 incident from light source L at the same incident angle of 30° (-30°) is recognized as light ray B3 reflected at P2 on the periphery of the cross section, that is, at a tangent angle of approximately 20°.

[0052] On the other hand, if the observer moves to position O3 and changes the line of sight angle to -10°, light ray B1 incident from light source L at the same incident angle of 30° (-30°) is recognized as light ray B4 reflected at P3 on the periphery of the cross section, that is, at a tangent angle of about 20°. Therefore, within 90% of the surface range of the transparent ink 320, regular reflection light can always be observed even if the line of sight angle changes by 80°.

[0053] In this way, as shown in Figure 4, even if the light incident angle is the same at 30° (-30°), the viewing angle at which specular reflected light can be observed can be expanded. Depending on the viewing position, various glossiness can be seen. This means that the area with sparkling glossiness can be increased.

[0054] Furthermore, if transparent ink 320 is used to create not only straight lines but also a collection of parts of concentric arcs or multiple blocks with different inclinations, the horizontal inclination of the transparent ink 320 is also taken into account, increasing the number of points of specular reflection, and direct reflected light from the light source L can be obtained with a wider range of inclinations and directions, making it easier to achieve a glossy effect.

[0055] When the width W1 of the transparent ink 320 becomes larger, the cross-sectional shape becomes closer to an ellipse, and when the width is 700 μm, the inclination of the tangent is about 5° at the 90% width position. Therefore, even when the transparent ink 320 is in the 90% width range, the angle at which light incident at an incident angle of -30° can be observed is only in the range of about 10°, from 35° to 25°, and regular reflection light can only be observed.

[0056] Furthermore, when the width W1 of the transparent ink 320 is 700 μm, the angle of the tangent is ±1.5° or less in the range of about half the width including the center, and the surface becomes almost flat. When the width W1 exceeds 700 μm, the cross-sectional shape cannot be approximated by an ellipsoidal spheroid, and becomes an oval spheroidal cross-section. Therefore, most of the surface becomes flat at almost 0°, and the range in which the specularly reflected light can be observed becomes almost one point, and the effect is lost.

[0057] When the length of the line segment becomes shorter, the influence of the tip of the line segment increases for the transparent ink 320. If the ink becomes a circular dot rather than a line segment, the specular reflected light is visible in any horizontal direction, resulting in a whitish printed surface and losing the sense of gloss, so the length of the line segment needs to be at least three times the line width.

[0058] Since the image layer 200 disposed below the transparent ink 320 is subject to specular reflection from the transparent ink 320, if the lightness is low, the difference in lightness with the specularly reflected light becomes large, making it difficult to recognize the color of the image layer 200. When the illuminance from the light source L increases, the specularly reflected light increases and the brightness that appears to be bright increases, but at the same time, the amount of light that passes through the transparent ink 320 and is diffusely reflected by the image layer 200 also increases, and the brightness of the image layer 200 also increases.

[0059] Therefore, the glossiness of the transparent ink 320 varies depending on the angle, but is generally around 50 to 70. Therefore, as long as the lightness of the image layer 200 is L* of 60 or more in the L*a*b* color system, even if there is specular reflection of the transparent ink 320, the lightness difference is not excessive and the pattern and color can be recognized.

[0060] Next, a method for printing the printed matter 1000 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0061] 5, in step S11, an image layer 200 is printed on the substrate 100. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the image layer 200 is printed on the substrate 100 using a recording head 51 that ejects colored inks.

[0062] Next, in step S12, the transparent ink 320 is printed on the image layer 200. Specifically, the transparent ink 320, i.e., thin lines 310, are printed on the image layer 200 using the recording head 52 that ejects the transparent ink 320 that does not contain a coloring material. As a result, lines 300 are printed on the image layer 200. As described above, the transparent ink 320 is a UV ink, and is cured by ultraviolet light irradiated from the UV irradiator 63 into a cross-sectional shape having a part of a non-circular arc that approximates an ellipse.

[0063] As described above, the printed matter 1000 of this embodiment has a substrate 100, an image layer 200 formed on the substrate 100 using colored inks, and lines 300 in which multiple non-intersecting thin lines 310 are formed on the image layer 200 using transparent ink 320, and the width W1 of the thin lines 310 in the direction in which the multiple thin lines 310 are adjacent to each other is 120 μm or more.

[0064] According to this configuration, since the width W1 of the thin wire 310 is 120 μm or more, it is possible to suppress the inclusion of flat parts in the surface shape of the thin wire 310, and it is possible to widen the viewing angle relative to the angle of incidence of light. Therefore, even when viewed from various angles, it appears to sparkle over a wide range, that is, it is possible to increase the glossy area, and the glossiness can be increased. In addition, since the line 300 is composed of a plurality of thin wires 310, each of the thin wires 310 shines finely, and the glossiness can be increased.

[0065] In the printed matter 1000 of the present embodiment, the width W1 of the thin lines 310 is preferably narrower than 700 μm. With this configuration, since the width W1 of the thin lines 310 is narrower than 700 μm, a variety of reflection angles can be maintained, and the image layer 200 can be viewed even when the viewing angle changes.

[0066] In addition, in the printed matter 1000 of this embodiment, the distance W2 between the adjacent first thin line 310a and second thin line 310b among the multiple thin lines 310 is preferably an integer multiple of 10 μm. According to this configuration, since the distance W2 between the thin lines 310 is the above-mentioned distance, it is possible to prevent the first thin line 310a and the second thin line 310b from connecting, and the viewing angle for the incident angle of light can be widened. In order to prevent the first thin line 310a and the second thin line 310b from connecting, as described above, it may be realized by providing a distance of about twice the resolution of the inkjet printer used for printing, that is, about 70 μm for 360 lpi.

[0067] In the printed matter 1000 of this embodiment, the lines 300 are preferably made of ultraviolet-curable ink. With this configuration, the lines 300 are formed using ultraviolet-curable ink, so that the thin lines 310 can be solidified three-dimensionally, and can be formed into a shape that includes a noncircular arc that approximates an ellipse.

[0068] In addition, the printing method of this embodiment includes a step of forming an image layer 200 on a substrate 100 using colored ink, and a step of forming lines 300 including a plurality of non-intersecting thin lines 310 on the image layer 200 using transparent ink 320, and the width W1 of the thin lines 310 in the direction in which the multiple thin lines 310 are adjacent to each other is 120 μm or more.

[0069] According to this method, since the width W1 of the thin wire 310 is 120 μm or more, it is possible to prevent the surface shape of the thin wire 310 from including flat parts, and it is possible to widen the viewing angle relative to the angle of incidence of light. Therefore, even when viewed from various angles, it appears to sparkle over a wide range, that is, it is possible to increase the glossy area, and the glossiness can be increased.

[0070] Modifications of the above embodiment will now be described.

[0071] As described above, the order of printing the image layer 200 and the transparent ink 320 on the substrate 100 is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 6, it is also possible to print white ink 400 as a white layer on the substrate 100, and then print the image layer 200 and the transparent ink 320 on top of that in that order.

[0072] 6, in the printed matter 1000A of the modified example, white ink 400 is disposed between the substrate 100 and the image layer 200. The white ink 400 has a function of blocking light rays incident from the rear surface side of the substrate 100 and light rays reflected by the substrate 100. Furthermore, when the substrate 100 is transparent, the light rays can be blocked by disposing the white ink 400.

[0073] The white color of the white ink 400 is a color having a brightness of L*≧95 in the L*a*b* color system. In this case, the image layer 200 only needs to have a brightness of L*≧60 in the L*a*b* color system. In this way, when the white base material 100 and the white ink 400 are arranged, the brightness of the image layer 200 is equal to or higher than the above brightness, and therefore the image layer 200 can be visually recognized.

[0074] Thus, in the printed matter 1000A of the modified example, when the substrate 100 is white or when there is a white layer between the substrate 100 and the image layer 200, the image layer 200 preferably has a brightness of L*≧60 in the L*a*b* color system. According to this configuration, when the substrate 100 is white, the brightness of the image layer 200 is equal to or greater than the above brightness, and therefore the image layer 200 can be visually recognized.

[0075] As described above, the order of printing the image layer 200 and the transparent ink 320 on the substrate 100 is not limited to the above. As shown in FIG. 7, a reflective layer 500 may be placed on the substrate 100, and the image layer 200 and the transparent ink 320 may be printed on top of the reflective layer 500 in that order.

[0076] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 7, a reflective layer 500 is disposed between the substrate 100 and the image layer 200. Examples of the reflective layer 500 include mirror-reflective members such as aluminum, nickel, chromium, and stainless steel. Methods for manufacturing the reflective layer 500 include film-forming methods such as plating, vapor deposition, and thermal spraying, methods of adhering and transferring foil-like metal materials, and methods of coating the substrate 100 with powdered metal material and polishing the surface.

[0077] Of the light rays incident on the image layer 200 from the light source L, the light rays that are diffused and transmitted by the image layer 200 are reflected by the reflective layer 500, and the reflected light rays reach the viewer. For this reason, the lightness of the image layer 200 only needs to be L*≧45 in the L*a*b* color system.

[0078] Thus, in the printed matter 1000B of the modified example, when the reflective layer 500 is present between the substrate 100 and the image layer 200, the image layer 200 preferably has a brightness of L*≧45 in the L*a*b* color system. According to this configuration, when the reflective layer 500 is present, in addition to the diffuse reflection of the image layer 200, light that has passed through the image layer 200 is also specularly reflected, and the brightness of the image layer 200 is equal to or greater than the above brightness, so that the image layer 200 can be visually recognized.

[0079] As described above, the thin lines 310 are not limited to being formed so as not to contact each other, and it is sufficient that the thin lines 310 do not cross each other, and the thin lines 310 may be formed so as to contact each other as shown in Fig. 8. In this manner, in the printed matter 1000C of the modified example, the ends of the thin lines 310 are formed so as to contact adjacent thin lines 310. Even in this case, it is possible to increase the area that appears to sparkle over a wide range, that is, the glossy area, and thus the glossy feel can be increased.

[0080] As described above, the thin lines 310 are not limited to being formed on the image layer 200, and the thin lines 310 may be formed on an area where there is no image layer 200, as in the printed matter 1000D of a modified example shown in Fig. 9. Also, the thin lines 310 may be formed on the entire image layer 200.

[0081] As in the above-described modified example, the reflective layer 500 is not limited to being disposed only on the front surface of the base material 100, but the reflective layer 500 may also be disposed on the back surface side of the base material. In this case, it is preferable that the base material 100 is transparent.

[0082] As described above, it is not limited to forming transparent ink 320 on the image layer 200 to increase the areas of gloss, such as glitter, but it is also possible to achieve a tactile effect by partially changing the thickness, as shown in Figures 10 and 11.

[0083] Specifically, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, an image layer 200 made of colored inks and having a thickness L1 is formed in the first region C1. In the second region C2, the image layer 200 and white ink 400 are laminated, each having a thickness L2. In the third region C3, the image layer 200 and transparent ink 320 are laminated, each having a thickness L3. In the fourth region C4, the white ink 400, the image layer 200, and the transparent ink 320 are laminated, each having a thickness L4. That is, the printed matter 1000E of this embodiment has four different thicknesses.

[0084] The thickness of the white ink 400 is, for example, 10 μm to 20 μm. The thickness of the transparent ink 320 is, for example, 5 μm to 15 μm. By partially changing the thickness of the printed surface in this way, it is possible to obtain a tactile effect, such as fish scales. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1...printing device, 2...feeding area, 3...processing area, 4...winding area, 10...control unit, 20...feeding shaft, 21...driven roller, 22...core tube, 30...conveying unit, 31...front driving roller, 31n...nip roller, 32...rear driving roller, 32n...nip roller, 33, 34...driven roller, 35...rotating drum, 40...winding shaft, 41...driven roller, 42...core tube, 50...printing unit, 51, 52...recording head, 61, 62,63...UV irradiator, 90...surface, 100...base material, 200...image layer, 300...thousand lines, 310...thin line, 310a...first thin line, 310b...second thin line, 320...transparent ink, 400...white ink, 500... Reflective layer, 1000,1000A,1000B,1000C,1000D,1000E...printed matter, B1,B2,B3,B4...ray of light, C1...first region, C2...second region, C3...third region, C4...fourth region.

Claims

1. A substrate; an image layer formed on the substrate using a colored ink; a plurality of thin lines that do not intersect each other and are formed on the image layer using a transparent ink; having A printed matter, wherein the width of the thin lines in the direction in which the thin lines are adjacent to each other is 120 μm or more.

2. The printed matter according to claim 1, When the substrate is white or when there is a white layer between the substrate and the image layer, The image layer has a brightness of L*≧60 in the L*a*b* color system.

3. The printed matter according to claim 1, When a reflective layer is provided between the substrate and the image layer, The image layer has a brightness of L*≧45 in the L*a*b* color system.

4. The printed matter according to claim 1, A printed matter, wherein the width of the thin line is narrower than 700 μm.

5. The printed matter according to claim 1, A printed matter, wherein the distance between adjacent first and second thin lines among the plurality of thin lines is an integer multiple of 10 μm.

6. The printed matter according to claim 1, The lines are printed using ultraviolet curable ink.

7. forming an image layer on a substrate using a colored ink; forming a plurality of thin lines, each of which does not intersect, on the image layer using a transparent ink; having A printing method, wherein the width of the thin lines in a direction in which the thin lines are adjacent to each other is 120 μm or more.

Images