Printed material and method for removing the opacity layer of printed material

Abstract

The present invention provides a printed material in which confidential information printed on a substrate is covered with an opaque layer, making it invisible, and in which the opaque layer does not peel off even if a hard object strikes it, scratches it, or folds it, and the opaque layer can be removed by means other than rubbing it with a hard object, thereby making the confidential information visible. [Solution] A printed material W comprising a substrate 10 on which secret information 11 is printed with ink, a transparent thin film layer 12 formed of varnish applied to the upper surface of the secret information 11 printed on the substrate 10, and an opacity layer 14 formed on the upper surface of the thin film layer 12 by printing an opacity image that conceals the secret information 11 with ink, wherein the secret information 11 is covered by the opacity layer 14 and cannot be seen, and the opacity layer 14 is removed when rubbed with an eraser 100, making the secret information 11 visible.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printed matter, for example, a printed matter in which secret information printed on a base material is covered with a concealment layer so as not to be visible, and the concealment layer does not peel off even when rubbed with a hard object such as a coin, and the concealment layer is removed when rubbed with a rubber and the secret information can be viewed.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, scratch printed matters have been used for lottery tickets such as lottery tickets and games. In a scratch printed matter, for example, secret information such as a winning number printed on paper is covered with a concealment layer formed of a special ink (scratch ink) such as silver, and the secret information cannot be viewed. This scratch printed matter is configured such that when the concealment layer is rubbed with a hard object such as a coin or a nail, the concealment layer is scraped off and the secret information can be viewed.

[0003] Further, Patent Document 1 discloses a scratch printed matter in which a transparent release layer and a concealment layer composed of a first concealment layer which is a solid pattern and a second concealment layer which is a dummy pattern are laminated in this order on a base material on which confidential data is printed. In this scratch printed matter, the concealment layer is formed of a material that can be peeled off from the release layer. Also, the dummy pattern is composed of characters and is arranged so as to overlap a certain ratio of the confidential data in terms of font size ratio.

[0004] Due to the above configuration, the scratch printed matter described in Patent Document 1 can make it difficult to visually recognize the confidential data from the outside even when backlighting is applied from the back surface of the scratch printed matter.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] By the way, the conventional scratch-off printed materials mentioned above have the problem that a hard object such as a coin is required to scratch off the opaque layer. Furthermore, conventional scratch-off printed materials have the problem that if the concealing layer is accidentally struck by a hard object or scratched with a hard object, the concealing layer will peel off. Furthermore, conventional scratch-off printed materials have the problem that if the opaque layer is bent, the opaque layer will peel off at the point of bending.

[0007] Based on the above problems, the inventors of the present invention, while developing printed materials, conceived the idea that if there were a printed material in which confidential information printed on a substrate is covered with an opaque layer, and the opaque layer does not peel off even when a hard object hits it, scratches it, or folds it, and the opaque layer can be removed by a method other than rubbing it with a hard object to make the confidential information visible, then the above problems would be solved. However, currently, there is no known printed material configuration in which confidential information printed on a substrate is covered with an opaque layer, and the opaque layer does not peel off even when struck by a hard object, scratched, or bent, and the opaque layer can be removed by any means other than rubbing it with a hard object to make the confidential information visible.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a printed material in which confidential information printed on a substrate is covered with an opaque layer and cannot be seen, and in which the opaque layer does not peel off even if a hard object hits the opaque layer, scratches the opaque layer, or folds the opaque layer, and the opaque layer can be removed by means other than rubbing the opaque layer with a hard object to make the confidential information visible.

[0009] The present invention, made to solve the above problems, is a printed material comprising: a substrate on which confidential information is printed with ink; a transparent thin film layer formed of varnish applied to the upper surface of the confidential information printed on the substrate; and an opacity layer formed on the upper surface of the thin film layer by printing an opacity image that conceals the confidential information with the ink, wherein the confidential information is covered by the opacity layer and cannot be seen, and the opacity layer is removed when rubbed with an eraser, making the confidential information visible.

[0010] Thus, the concealing layer of the printed material of the present invention is formed by printing with ink onto a transparent thin film layer formed by applying varnish to the upper surface of the secret information printed on the substrate. Therefore, when the concealing layer is rubbed with an eraser, the concealing layer formed with ink is absorbed and removed by the surface of the eraser, and the secret information is revealed and made visible. In other words, according to the present invention, the concealing layer can be removed with a stationery eraser without the need for a hard object such as a coin. Furthermore, in the printed material of the present invention, eraser shavings are generated instead of fine silver powder shavings like those of conventional scratch-off printed materials. However, the eraser shavings are somewhat more cohesive than the silver powder shavings of scratch-off printed materials, which has the advantage of being easier to clean up.

[0011] Furthermore, since the opacity layer of the printed material of the present invention is formed by printing an opacity image with ink on a thin film layer, the opacity layer will not peel off even if a hard object hits it, scratches it, or folds it. Therefore, compared to conventional scratch-off printed materials, the printed materials of the present invention require less management effort during the distribution process. Furthermore, even if a user folds the concealed layer portion of the printed material and stores it in a wallet or bag, the concealed layer will not peel off, making it easier for the user to handle. Furthermore, the opacity layer of the printed material of the present invention is formed by printing an opaque image using the same ink as that used to print the confidential information. In other words, unlike conventional scratch-off printed materials, the printed material of the present invention does not require the preparation of a special ink (scratch ink) in addition to the ink used to print the confidential information, thereby reducing costs.

[0012] Furthermore, it is desirable that both the confidential information and the concealed images be printed using offset printing.

[0013] Thus, since both the confidential information and the concealment layer are printed by offset printing in the printed material of the present invention, it can be printed at a lower cost and in a shorter time compared to conventional scratch-off printed materials (scratch-off printed materials in which the concealment layer is printed using a special ink (scratch ink)). Furthermore, since the opacity layer is formed by offset printing, the design and color of the opacity image forming the opacity layer can be freely and easily set. For example, the hidden image can be made into "randomly overlapping lines (messy lines)", an "illustration", "text", or "photographs (photos of animals, landscapes, flowers, etc.)".

[0014] Furthermore, it is desirable that the varnish is a release varnish containing extender pigments, synthetic resins, vegetable oils, mineral oils, carnauba wax, and auxiliary agents. By forming a thin film layer with a release varnish containing the above components, the opacity layer formed by printing with ink on the upper surface can be cleanly removed with an eraser. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, a printed material is provided in which confidential information printed on a substrate is covered with an opaque layer and cannot be seen, and even if a hard object strikes the opaque layer, scratches the opaque layer, or folds the opaque layer, the opaque layer will not peel off, and the opaque layer can be removed by means other than rubbing it with a hard object, thereby making the confidential information visible. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a printed material according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a schematic plan view of the printed material before the opaque layer is removed with an eraser, and (b) is a schematic plan view of the printed material after the opaque layer has been removed with an eraser and the secret information has become visible. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram that simulates the AA cross-section of the printed material shown in Figure 1(a). [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of removing the opacity layer of a printed material with an eraser according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a schematic diagram showing the state before the opacity layer of the printed material is rubbed with an eraser, (b) and (c) are schematic diagrams showing the state while the opacity layer of the printed material is being rubbed with an eraser, and (d) is a schematic diagram showing the state after the opacity layer of the printed material has been removed by the eraser. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] The configuration of the printed material according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the printed material of this embodiment, and Figure 2 is a schematic diagram that simulates the AA cross-section of the printed material shown in Figure 1(a).

[0018] As shown in the figure, the printed matter W of the present embodiment includes a base material 10 on which secret information (in the illustrated example, character information "Takada Printing") 11 is printed with a predetermined ink, a transparent thin film layer 12 formed of a varnish applied to the upper surface of the secret information 11 printed on the base material 10, and a concealment layer 14 on which a concealment image for concealing the secret information 11 is printed and formed with a predetermined ink on the upper surface of the thin film layer 12.

[0019] In the example shown in Fig. 1(a), the concealment image constituting the concealment layer 14 is a randomly overlapped line (for the sake of convenience of explanation, referred to as a "messy line"), and the "messy line" is printed on the upper surface of the transparent thin film layer 12 laminated on the secret information (in the illustrated example, "Takada Printing") 11, so that the secret information 11 is covered by the concealment layer 14 and cannot be visually recognized. Note that the concealment layer 14 can be removed by rubbing with a rubber 100, and the secret information 11 can be visually recognized.

[0020] In addition, for the base material 10 constituting the printed matter W, for example, coated paper or matte coated paper can be used. In this way, by using coated paper or matte coated paper for the base material 10, the thickness dimension can be made thinner compared to the scratch printed matter of the prior art. Note that for the scratch printed matter of the prior art, since it is necessary to rub its surface with a hard object such as a coin, it is necessary to use a base material having a certain thickness dimension.

[0021] In addition, both the secret information 11 and the concealment image are printed by offset printing using the same type of ink. For the ink, for example, offset ink can be used. In this way, since the concealment layer 14 of the printed matter W of the present embodiment is formed by offset printing, it can be manufactured at a low cost and in a short time compared to the scratch printed matter of the prior art (a scratch printed matter in which a concealment layer is printed with a special ink (scratch ink)). Note that the printing of the layer that is visible from the beginning can also be on-demand printing.

[0022] Furthermore, since the printed material W of this embodiment has a concealing layer 14 formed by offset printing, the design and color of the concealing layer 14 can be freely and easily set. For example, as shown in the illustrated example, the concealing image forming the concealing layer 14 can be made into "messy lines". Alternatively, the concealing image can be an "illustration", or it can be "text" or a "photograph (photographs of animals, landscapes, flowers, etc.)".

[0023] Furthermore, the varnish used to form the thin film layer 12 can be, for example, a release varnish (OP varnish (overprint varnish)) containing extender pigments, synthetic resins, vegetable oils, mineral oils, carnauba wax, and auxiliary agents. By forming a thin film layer 12 from a release varnish containing the above components, the opacity layer 14 formed by printing ink on its upper surface can be cleanly removed with an eraser 100. In this embodiment, the varnish used to form the thin film layer 12 of the printed material W is "OP varnish for hidden silver (overprint varnish)" manufactured by Naigai Ink Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

[0024] The concealing layer 14, which is laminated on the upper surface of the transparent thin film layer 12 formed by applying the above varnish, is formed by printing a concealing image with the same ink used to print the secret information 11. Therefore, even if a hard object hits the concealing layer 14, scratches the concealing layer 14, or bends the concealing layer 14, the concealing layer 14 will not peel off.

[0025] Next, with reference to Figure 3, the procedure for removing the opaque layer 14 of the printed material W of this embodiment using an eraser 100 to make the secret information 11 visible will be explained. Here, Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the process of removing the opacity layer of the printed material in this embodiment using an eraser.

[0026] First, as shown in Figure 3(a), the user applies an eraser 100 to the concealment layer 14 of a printed material W in which the secret information 11 (secret information 11 covered by a transparent thin film layer 12) printed on the substrate 10 is covered by the concealment layer 14 and is not visible. Next, as shown in Figures 3(b) and 3(c), the user rubs the opacity layer 14 printed and formed on the upper surface of the thin film layer 12 with the eraser 100. Through this action, the opacity layer 14 formed with ink is gradually absorbed and removed by the surface of the eraser 100, and the secret information 11 becomes visible, as shown in Figure 3(d).

[0027] Thus, in this embodiment, the opaque layer 14 of the printed material W can be removed with a stationery eraser 100, even without a hard object such as a coin. Furthermore, since the opacity layer 14 of the printed material W in this embodiment is formed by printing an opacity image with ink on a thin film layer 12 formed by applying varnish, the opacity layer 14 will not peel off even if a hard object hits it, scratches it, or folds it. Therefore, the printed material W of this embodiment requires less management effort during distribution compared to conventional scratch-off printed materials. Furthermore, even if a user folds the portion of the printed material W with the concealing layer 14 and stores it in a wallet or bag, the concealing layer 14c will not peel off, making it easier for the user to handle.

[0028] As described above, according to this embodiment, the printed material W is such that the secret information 11 printed on the substrate 10 is covered with an opaque layer 14 and cannot be seen, and even if a hard object hits the opaque layer 14, scratches the opaque layer 14, or bends the opaque layer 14, the opaque layer 14 will not peel off, and the printed material W can be made visible by removing the opaque layer 14 by a method other than rubbing the opaque layer 14 with a hard object (such as rubbing it with an eraser).

[0029] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of its essence. In the embodiments described above, both the confidential information 11 and the concealed image are printed using offset printing, but the invention is not limited to this. Both the confidential information 11 and the concealed image may be printed using on-demand printing. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0030] W...Printed materials 10...Base material 11…Confidential information 12...Thin film layer 14…Concealing layer 100... Eraser

Claims

1. A substrate on which confidential information is printed using ink, A transparent thin film layer formed of varnish applied to the upper surface of the confidential information printed on the substrate, The thin film layer has a concealing layer formed on its upper surface by printing a concealing image that conceals the confidential information using the ink, The aforementioned confidential information is covered by the aforementioned concealment layer and cannot be seen. A printed material characterized in that the concealing layer is removed when rubbed with an eraser, making the secret information visible.

2. The printed material according to claim 1, characterized in that both the confidential information and the concealed image are printed by offset printing.

3. The printed article according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the varnish is a release varnish containing an extender pigment, a synthetic resin, a vegetable oil, a mineral oil, a carnauba wax, and an auxiliary agent.

Images