Method for manufacturing trading card with improved surface characteristics and trading card manufactured by the method

Abstract

To provide a method for manufacturing a trading card, in which the trading card has a thick UV varnish coating layer, excellent gloss without generating bubbles and improved adhesion of the coating layer by printing and applying UV varnish again on the upper part of the trading card with the UV varnish coating layer and then curing it again; and a trading card manufactured by the method.SOLUTION: There is provided a method for manufacturing a trading card with improved surface characteristics, comprising: a step 1 of supplying a trading card having a UV varnish coating layer formed thereon; a step 2 of printing and applying UV varnish on the upper part of the UV varnish coating layer; a step 3 of attaching a UV casting film on the upper part of the trading card having the UV varnish applied thereon; a step 4 of curing the UV varnish using a UV lamp; and a step 5 of peeling the UV casting film.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties and trading cards manufactured by the method, and particularly to a trading card that has a holographic effect created using ultraviolet (UV) transfer coating, in which the UV coating layer is thick, bubbles are not formed, and the trading card manufactured by the method has outstanding gloss. [Background technology]

[0002] A trading card game is a game played using trading cards (also called collectable cards in English, often abbreviated to "toreka" in Japan) designed around a specific theme and rules. Each trading card has related content printed on both sides. For example, if a person's photo is printed on the front, the back will have information describing that person. Such trading cards can also become collectibles in themselves.

[0003] Trading cards are sold in randomly packaged sets of a certain number of cards from a particular series. For example, two to three trading cards are sold in opaque transparent vinyl packaging. Individuals who own duplicate cards can exchange them with other users to obtain a wide variety of cards.

[0004] Meanwhile, trading cards are coated with a variety of special coatings to enhance their durability and protect them, improve their appearance, and create a sense of luxury, luxury, and luxury, providing collectors and players with even more fun and enjoyment.

[0005] These special coatings include gloss coating, which gives the card a shiny, glossy appearance and enhances the vibrant colors and graphics; matte coating, which reduces reflections and helps prevent dust and fingerprints, while also creating a casual or sophisticated look; foil stamping, which uses metallic foil in specific areas to create a glamorous, luxurious look; spot UV varnish, which applies a high-gloss coating to specific areas to highlight images and text and add depth and dimension; soft touch coating, which creates a velvet-like surface to improve the feel and grip of the card; UV coating, which provides a protective layer to prevent discoloration, scratches, and damage due to exposure; embossing / debossing, which creates high or low areas on the card surface to highlight images and text; and holographic effects, which give the card a sparkling effect from various angles to enhance the card's appearance. effects) are used.

[0006] Among the special coatings, one widely used method for providing a holographic effect is to use a UV cast film having a hologram pattern formed on the surface.

[0007] The method includes applying or printing UV varnish (ink) on one or both sides of a trading card, attaching a UV casting film to one or both sides of the trading card on which the ink has been applied or printed, irradiating UV light onto one or both sides of the trading card to which the UV casting film has been attached for a set period of time to harden the UV varnish, and then peeling off the UV casting film.

[0008] That is, a hologram pattern corresponding to the hologram pattern formed in the UV casting film is formed in the UV varnish that is coated and cured on the trading card, thereby imparting a hologram effect to the trading card.

[0009] However, because the UV varnish coating layer is formed as an ultra-thin film, the UV varnish may not be applied evenly to the trading card depending on the surface condition of the trading card, i.e., the printing condition, surface tension, etc., resulting in very small areas of the trading card surface that are not coated with UV varnish, or bubbles forming in the UV varnish, as well as the problem of poor durability of the UV varnish coating layer.

[0010] Such uneven coating of UV varnish and the formation of bubbles significantly detract from the appearance of the trading card, and a thin UV varnish coating layer reduces the durability of the coating layer, so a solution to this problem is desired. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] The present invention was created to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a method for manufacturing trading cards with excellent gloss and adhesive strength by forming a thick UV varnish coating layer using a UV transfer coating device, while minimizing the generation of bubbles and increasing gloss, thereby improving design such as appearance and attractiveness, and to provide trading cards with improved design such as appearance and attractiveness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties, including a first step of providing a trading card having a UV varnish coating layer formed thereon; a second step of printing and applying UV varnish on top of the UV varnish coating layer; a third step of attaching a UV cast film to the top of the trading card with the UV varnish applied; a fourth step of curing the UV varnish using a UV lamp; and a fifth step of peeling off the UV cast film.

[0013] The method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention not only increases the thickness of the UV varnish coating layer and the glossiness of the surface by forming an additional UV varnish coating layer on top of the UV varnish coating layer, but also removes air bubbles contained in the UV varnish coating layer.

[0014] In the method for manufacturing a trading card with improved surface properties according to the present invention, the trading card having the UV varnish coating layer formed thereon may include the steps of: (1) supplying a trading card; (2) printing and applying UV varnish to the top of the trading card; (3) attaching a UV cast film to the top of the trading card coated with the UV varnish; (4) curing the UV varnish using a UV lamp; and (5) peeling off the UV cast film.

[0015] The method for producing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention allows for the easy increase of the thickness of the UV varnish coating layer using a conventional UV varnish transfer device.

[0016] In the method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention, it is preferable that the output of the UV lamp in step 4-1 is 2 to 3 kW, and the output of the UV lamp in step 4 is 2 to 5 kW. If the output of the UV lamp exceeds this range, the adhesive strength between the UV varnish coating layer and the trading card decreases, weakening the strength of the UV varnish coating layer.

[0017] In the method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention, the second step of printing and applying a UV varnish on top of the UV varnish coating layer and the 2-1 step of printing and applying a UV varnish on top of the trading card may further include the step of supplying a UV varnish, and the UV varnish is preferably supplied at a temperature of 40 to 50° C. If the UV varnish is not supplied at a constant temperature, it is difficult to remove air bubbles and to uniformly apply the UV varnish to the trading card.

[0018] In the method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention, in the third step of attaching a UV cast film to the trading card coated with the UV varnish, and in step 3-1, the UV cast film is preferably subjected to static electricity removal using a static eliminator and the surface is cleaned using an air cleaner before being attached to the trading card. If static electricity and / or dust are not removed from the UV cast film, the UV varnish coating layer will not be formed uniformly.

[0019] In the method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention, the second step of printing and applying UV varnish on top of the UV varnish coating layer and the second step of printing and applying UV varnish on top of the trading card comprise printing and applying the UV varnish to a portion of the trading card using a flexographic plate having concave and convex portions, and the convex portions preferably have a size that is 99 to 99.5% of the size of the portion of the trading card. If the convex portions of the flexographic plate exceed this range, a hologram pattern larger than the desired shape will be formed, and if they are below this range, a hologram pattern smaller than the desired shape will be formed, resulting in an inaccurate boundary between the content printed on the trading card and the hologram pattern, and a poor appearance of the trading card. Furthermore, when a hologram pattern is applied to only a portion of a trading card using a flexographic plate, the contrast between the unprinted and printed portions of the hologram pattern allows for a variety of design effects depending on the characters, background, etc. printed on the trading card. Furthermore, when UV varnish is applied and cured twice, the gloss level increases, further enhancing the hologram effect.

[0020] The present invention provides trading cards with improved surface properties manufactured by the above-described method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties of the present invention, trading cards can be manufactured that have outstanding gloss and a clean surface condition without air bubbles, thereby making it possible to improve the quality of trading cards. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1]1 illustrates steps in one embodiment of a method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention. [Figure 2] These are photographs of the surface of a trading card. (a) is a card that has been coated once with UV varnish, with circles indicating areas where air bubbles have formed. (b) is a card that has been coated twice with UV varnish, with almost no air bubbles visible. [Figure 3] This shows the case where the UV varnish coating layer was completely peeled off when the adhesive strength was evaluated after two coats of UV varnish. [Figure 4] When evaluating pencil strength after two coats of UV varnish, (a) the coating layer was partially destroyed, and (b) the coating layer was completely destroyed. [Figure 5] This shows a trading card in which an unprinted portion A of the hologram pattern and a printed portion B of the hologram pattern are separated using a flexographic plate with recessed and protruding portions formed thereon. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are, however, merely illustrative and not limiting of the present invention.

[0024] FIG. 1 shows the steps of one embodiment of the method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention.

[0025] Trading cards are continuously fed into a UV varnish printing device in the form of whole sheets (large sheets of paper / base paper distributed by paper manufacturers) or rolls on which many trading cards have been printed.

[0026] The printing of the UV varnish can be done by a printing roller, and the UV varnish is printed and applied to the entire surface of one side of the trading card or to a portion of the trading card.

[0027] A UV casting film having a hologram pattern formed thereon is continuously supplied and attached to the trading card on which the UV varnish has been printed and applied, and is then laminated to the trading card.

[0028] The trading card with the UV casting film attached is placed in a curing machine equipped with a UV lamp, and the UV varnish is cured by UV and adhered to the trading card.

[0029] After passing through the curing machine, the UV castable film is peeled from the trading card and is ready to be reused after being rolled up.

[0030] After the UV casting film is peeled off, a hardened UV varnish coating layer is left on top of the trading card, bearing a pattern corresponding to the hologram pattern formed on the UV casting film, giving the trading card a hologram effect.

[0031] The method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing trading cards by feeding trading cards at a speed of 35 to 40 meters per minute, printing UV varnish at the same speed, applying a UV cast film, curing the UV varnish to coat the cards, and peeling off the UV cast film.

[0032] In the method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention, the UV lamp of the UV lamp-equipped curing machine can have a maximum output of 8 kW, and the maximum output of the UV lamp can be adjusted using a ballast.

[0033] The distance between the UV lamp and the trading card can be adjusted to 6 to 8 cm.

[0034] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention will be described.

[0035] While feeding trading cards at a speed of 36 m per minute, UV varnish was printed and applied to the entire top surface of the trading cards using a flexographic printing method with a flat plate cylinder. A UV cast film was attached to the top of the trading card, and the UV varnish was cured using a UV lamp. The UV cast film was then peeled off to produce the trading card. The UV lamp had a maximum output of 8 kW, and the output was adjusted using a ballast. During UV curing, the distance between the UV lamp and the trading card with the UV cast film attached was set at 7 cm.

[0036] Using the above method, the trading cards were coated with UV varnish once or twice and cured while adjusting the output of the UV lamp as shown in Table 1 below. The degree of bubble generation, gloss, adhesive strength of the varnish coating layer, and strength of the coating layer were then evaluated. The results are shown in Table 1 below.

[0037] The degree of bubble generation was evaluated by converting the frequency of bubbles that could be identified by visual observation into a score, with the highest frequency of bubble generation being evaluated as 10 and no bubbles being evaluated as 0.

[0038] The gloss of the UV varnish coating layer was measured using a HORIBA Gloss Checker gloss meter IG-340 (manufactured by Horiba, Ltd., Japan). The adhesive strength of the coating layer was evaluated as follows: if an adhesive tape was attached to the UV varnish coating layer and then peeled off, the UV varnish coating layer was left intact; if only a portion of the UV varnish coating layer was peeled off, the evaluation was "Good"; if the entire layer was peeled off, the evaluation was "Poor"; and if the entire layer was peeled off, the evaluation was "Poor".

[0039] The strength of the coating layer was evaluated by scratching the UV varnish coating layer at a 45° angle using a 3H pencil, which has approximately the same hardness as a fingernail, and the coating layer was rated as "Good" if it was intact, "Good" if it was partially destroyed, and "Poor" if it was completely destroyed.

[0040] [Table 1]

[0041] In Table 1 above, Examples 1, 6, 11, and 16 refer to cases where the UV varnish was printed and then cured by setting the UV lamp output to 2.5, 4.0, 5.5, and 7.0 kW, respectively. Examples 2 to 5, 7 to 10, 12 to 15, and 17 to 20 refer to cases where the UV varnish was printed on the trading cards coated with the UV varnish prepared according to Examples 1, 6, 11, and 16, respectively, and then the UV varnish was again cured under different UV lamp outputs.

[0042] That is, in the case of Example 2, trading cards were produced that were coated with UV varnish using a 2.5 kW UV lamp according to Example 1 and then cured, and then UV varnish was printed on the trading card and cured again using a 2.5 kW UV lamp. In Examples 3 to 5, the trading cards were cured again using 4.0, 5.5, and 7.0 kW UV lamps, respectively.

[0043] In the cases of Examples 7 to 10, Examples 12 to 15, and Examples 17 to 20, the only difference was the output value of the UV lamp used during one coating, as described above.

[0044] As is clear from Table 1, when the UV varnish was applied once, a large number of bubbles were generated in the UV varnish, and the surface condition was not good (see Examples 1, 6, 11, 16 and FIG. 2(a)). However, the adhesion and strength of the UV varnish coating layer were both good.

[0045] As is clear from Examples 2 to 5 and Examples 7 to 10, by applying UV varnish twice, the number of bubbles in the UV varnish coating layer is significantly reduced, improving the surface condition (see Figure 2(b)), and it can be confirmed that the gloss of the trading card is increased.

[0046] In some cases, the adhesive strength and adhesive strength remained at a good level even after two coatings (see Examples 2 and 3), while in other cases, the adhesive strength decreased more or less when the UV lamp output was above a certain level (see Examples 4, 5, and 7 to 10).

[0047] In the case of Examples 12-15 and 17-20, where a UV lamp output of 5.5 kW or more was used for a single coating, two coats of UV varnish were applied, as in Examples 2-5 and 7-10. This significantly reduced the number of bubbles in the UV varnish coating, improving the surface condition and increasing the gloss of the trading cards. However, the adhesive strength was also significantly reduced, resulting in complete peeling of the UV varnish coating (see Examples 12-15 and 17-20, Figure 3). The strength was also reduced, resulting in partial destruction of the coating layer by a pencil (see Examples 12-15, Figure 4(a)) or complete destruction (see Examples 17-20, Figure 4(b)).

[0048] As is clear from the above examples, after one coating and curing of UV varnish, the trading card and the UV varnish coating layer had good adhesion and strength, but the UV varnish had a large number of bubbles and the surface condition was not good.

[0049] However, when the UV varnish was applied twice and cured, the gloss of the trading card increased, and the bubbles in the UV varnish coating were significantly reduced, improving the surface condition. However, it can be confirmed that the adhesion and strength of the UV varnish coating layer are highly dependent on the power of the UV lamp used to cure the UV varnish.

[0050] In other words, when the UV lamp output is 2-3kW for the first curing and 2-5kW for the second curing, it can be seen that a UV varnish coating layer with good adhesion and strength is formed, with reduced bubbles, improved surface condition, and improved gloss.

[0051] This is because when UV varnish is coated in layers, additional UV varnish is applied on top of the UV varnish coating formed during the first curing process, which causes the hologram pattern formed during the first curing process to disappear and the thickness of the UV varnish coating layer to double, improving the surface gloss.However, if the output of the UV lamp is above a certain level, the UV varnish applied the first time will be over-cured, reducing the strength of the UV varnish coating layer and weakening the adhesive strength at the interface between the trading card and the UV varnish.

[0052] The reduction in bubbles is difficult to explain theoretically, but it is thought to be due to the combined effect of the changes in the surface of the trading card caused by the first UV exposure and the effects of the first applied UV varnish.

[0053] Therefore, the method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention provides trading cards with outstanding gloss and a clean, bubble-free surface, thereby enabling the production of high-quality trading cards.

[0054] Another embodiment of the method for producing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention will now be described.

[0055] The UV varnish used in the present invention can be printed and applied to trading cards by flexography. The UV varnish is transferred from a varnish tray to a plate cylinder using a fountain roller and an anilox roller, and the varnish on the plate cylinder is printed or applied to the top of the trading card as it passes through the gap between the plate cylinder and the impression cylinder.

[0056] If the printing cylinder has no irregularities, the UV varnish is printed and applied over the entire surface of the trading card, so that the hologram pattern designed in the UV casting film is formed over the entire surface of the trading card.

[0057] If a hologram design needs to be applied to only a part of a trading card, a flexo plate (a resin plate) with the above-mentioned recessed and raised portions formed thereon can be attached to the flat plate, and only the UV varnish transferred to the raised portions of the flexo plate can be transferred to the trading card, making it possible to engrave a hologram pattern only on a part of the trading card.

[0058] As mentioned above, when a hologram pattern is applied to only a portion of a trading card, the contrast between the unprinted portion of the hologram pattern (portion A in FIG. 5) and the printed portion of the hologram pattern (portion B in FIG. 5) has the advantage of allowing for a variety of design effects depending on the characters, background, etc. printed on the trading card. In particular, as mentioned above, when UV varnish is applied and cured twice, the gloss level increases, further enhancing the hologram effect.

[0059] The convex portions of the flexographic plate preferably have a size of 99 to 99.5%, and more preferably 99.1 to 99.3%, of the size of the hologram design shape (e.g., part B in Figure 5) desired to be printed on the trading card. This is to take into consideration the effect of the UV varnish seeping onto the surface of the trading card due to the pressure of the impression cylinder and the UV casting film, and to ensure that the applied and unapplied portions of the hologram pattern are clearly positioned above the printed content of the trading card. In other words, if the convex portions of the flexographic plate exceed this range, a hologram pattern larger than the desired shape will be formed. If the convex portions are below this range, a hologram pattern smaller than the desired shape will be formed. As a result, the boundary between the printed content and the hologram pattern will not accurately match, resulting in a poor appearance of the trading card.

[0060] The UV varnish used in the present invention can be supplied while maintained at a constant temperature. That is, the temperature of the UV varnish maintained in the tray is preferably 40 to 50°C. Supplying the UV varnish at a constant temperature reduces the generation of bubbles, allowing the UV varnish to be printed and applied uniformly to one side of the trading card. In particular, when the UV varnish is applied to only a portion of the card using a flexographic plate, the unprinted portion of the hologram pattern (part A in Figure 5) and the printed portion of the hologram pattern (part B in Figure 5) can be clearly distinguished from each other.

[0061] The UV casting film used in the present invention can be subjected to static elimination using an ionizer or other static elimination equipment before being attached to a trading card printed or coated with UV varnish. Eliminating static electricity improves adhesion to the trading card, allowing the hologram design to be clearly engraved in the UV varnish. The static elimination equipment, such as an ionizer, can be applied to both sides of the UV casting film, but to simplify the process, it may be applied to only the side of the UV casting film that will be attached to the trading card.

[0062] In addition, it is preferable to remove foreign matter such as dust from the surface of the UV cast film used in the present invention using an air cleaner before applying it to a trading card printed or coated with UV varnish. The air cleaner is applied after removing static electricity using an ionizer or other static elimination equipment, so that foreign matter such as dust can be effectively removed.

Claims

1. A first step of providing a trading card having a UV varnish coating layer formed thereon; a second step of printing and applying UV varnish on top of the UV varnish coating layer; a third step of applying a UV casting film on top of the UV varnished trading card; a fourth step of curing the UV varnish using a UV lamp; A fifth step of peeling off the UV cast film; 1. A method for producing trading cards with improved surface properties, comprising:

2. The trading card on which the UV varnish coating layer is formed is A first step of supplying trading cards; A second-1 step of printing and applying UV varnish to the top of the trading card; A third step of attaching a UV casting film to the top of the trading card coated with UV varnish; A fourth step of curing the UV varnish using a UV lamp; A fifth step of peeling off the UV casting film; 10. The method for producing trading cards with improved surface properties according to claim 1, wherein the trading cards are produced by a method comprising:

3. 3. The method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to claim 2, wherein the output of the UV lamp in the fourth step is 2 to 5 kW, and the output of the UV lamp in the fourth-1 step is 2 to 3 kW.

4. 3. The method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to claim 2, wherein the second step of printing and applying UV varnish on top of the UV varnish coating layer and the second-1 step of printing and applying UV varnish on top of the trading card further include the step of supplying UV varnish, and the UV varnish is supplied at a temperature of 40 to 50°C.

5. 3. The method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to claim 2, wherein the third step of attaching a UV casting film to the top of the trading card coated with the UV varnish and the UV casting film in step 3-1 are subjected to static electricity removal using a static eliminator and the surface is cleaned using an air cleaner before being attached to the top of the trading card.

6. 3. The method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties as set forth in claim 2, wherein the second step of printing and applying UV varnish on top of the UV varnish coating layer and the second-1 step of printing and applying UV varnish on top of the trading card comprise printing and applying the UV varnish to a portion of the trading card using a flexographic plate having recessed and protruding portions, and the protruding portions have a size that is 99 to 99.5% of a size corresponding to a portion of the trading card.

7. A trading card with improved surface properties, produced by the method of any one of claims 1 to 6.

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