Printed matter and method for removing concealing layer from printed matter

Abstract

To provide a printed matter in which secret information printed on a substrate is covered with a concealing layer to make it invisible, and in which the concealing layer does not peel off even when it is hit by a hard object, scratched, or bent, and in which the secret information can be made visible by removing the concealing layer by a method other than rubbing the concealing layer with a hard object. [Solution] A printed matter W has a substrate 10 on which confidential information 11 is printed in ink, a transparent thin film layer 12 formed by applying varnish to the top surface of the confidential information 11 printed on the substrate 10, and a concealing layer 14 formed by printing a concealing image in ink on the top surface of the thin film layer 12 to conceal the confidential information 11, wherein the confidential information 11 is covered by the concealing layer 14 so that it cannot be seen, and when the concealing layer 14 is rubbed with an eraser 100 it is removed, allowing the confidential information 11 to be seen.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printed matter, for example, a printed matter in which confidential information printed on a substrate is covered with a concealing layer to make it invisible, and the concealing layer does not peel off even when rubbed with a hard object such as a coin, and the concealing layer is removed when rubbed with an eraser, allowing the confidential information to be visible. [Background technology]

[0002] Scratch-off prints have traditionally been used for lottery tickets and games. Scratch-off prints, for example, have secret information such as winning numbers printed on paper, covered with a concealing layer made of a special ink (scratch ink) such as silver, so that the secret information cannot be seen. This scratch-off print is configured so that when the concealing layer is scratched off with a hard object such as a coin or a fingernail, the concealing layer is scraped off and removed, allowing the secret information to be seen.

[0003] Patent Document 1 also discloses a scratch-off print in which a transparent release layer and a concealing layer consisting of a first concealing layer with a solid pattern and a second concealing layer with a dummy pattern are laminated in this order on a substrate on which confidential data has been printed. In this scratch-off print, the concealing layer is formed of a material that can be peeled off from the release layer. The dummy pattern is composed of letters and is arranged so that it overlaps the confidential data at a certain font size ratio.

[0004] The scratch printed matter described in Patent Document 1, with the above-described configuration, can make confidential data difficult to see from the outside even when a backlight is applied to the rear side of the scratch printed matter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6372051 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the scratch-off prints of the prior art described above have a problem in that a hard object such as a coin must be prepared in order to scrape off the concealing layer. Furthermore, the scratch printed matter of the prior art has a problem in that if the hiding layer is accidentally hit by a hard object or scratched by a hard object, the hiding layer will peel off. Furthermore, conventional scratch-printed materials have a problem in that when the concealing layer is folded, the concealing layer peels off at the folded portion.

[0007] Then, in the course of developing printed products, the inventors of the present application came up with the idea that the above-mentioned problems could be solved if there was a printed material in which confidential information printed on a substrate is covered with a concealing layer, and if the concealing layer could be removed by a method other than rubbing it with a hard object, making the confidential information visible, without causing peeling of the concealing layer, even if the concealing layer was hit by, scratched by, or bent with a hard object. However, at present, in a printed matter in which confidential information printed on a substrate is covered with a concealing layer, even if the concealing layer is hit by a hard object, scratched, or bent, the concealing layer will not peel off, and there is no known configuration of printed matter in which the concealing layer can be removed by a method other than rubbing it with a hard object, making the confidential information visible.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a printed matter in which secret information printed on a substrate is covered with a concealing layer to make it invisible, and in which the concealing layer will not peel off even if it is hit by a hard object, scratched, or bent, and in which the concealing layer can be removed by a method other than rubbing it with a hard object to make the secret information visible.

[0009] The present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, is a printed matter comprising a substrate on which confidential information is printed with ink, a transparent thin film layer formed by applying varnish to the top surface of the confidential information printed on the substrate, and a concealing layer formed on the top surface of the thin film layer by printing a concealing image with ink to conceal the confidential information, wherein the confidential information is covered by the concealing layer so as to be invisible, and the concealing layer is removed when rubbed with an eraser, allowing the confidential information to be visible.

[0010] Thus, the concealing layer of the printed matter of the present invention is formed by printing ink on a transparent thin film layer formed by applying varnish to the top surface of the confidential information printed on the substrate. Therefore, when the concealing layer is rubbed with an eraser, the ink-based concealing layer is absorbed and removed by the surface of the eraser, revealing the confidential information and making it visible. In other words, according to the present invention, the concealing layer can be removed with a stationery eraser even without a hard object such as a coin. The printed matter of the present invention generates eraser shavings, rather than the fine silver powder shavings of conventional scratched prints. However, the eraser shavings have the advantage of being more compact and easier to clean than the silver powder shavings of scratched prints.

[0011] Furthermore, since the concealing layer of the printed matter of the present invention is formed by printing a concealing image with ink on a thin film layer, the concealing layer will not peel off even if it is hit by a hard object, scratched, or bent. Therefore, the printed matter of the present invention can reduce the effort required for management during distribution compared to scratch-printed matters of the prior art. Furthermore, even if a user folds the concealing layer portion and stores the printed matter in a wallet or bag, the concealing layer will not peel off, making it easy for the user to handle. Furthermore, the concealing layer of the printed matter of the present invention is formed by printing a concealing image with the same ink as that used to print the confidential information. That is, unlike scratch-off printed matters of the prior art, the printed matter of the present invention does not require the preparation of a special ink (scratch-off ink) in addition to the ink used to print the confidential information, thereby reducing costs.

[0014] The varnish may contain extender pigments, synthetic resins, vegetable oils, mineral oils, carnauba oils, etc. Uga Preferably with included release varnish. By forming a thin film layer using a release varnish containing the above-mentioned components, the concealing layer formed on the top surface by printing with ink can be easily removed with an eraser. The present invention also provides a method for removing a concealing layer from a printed matter having a substrate on which confidential information is printed with ink, a transparent thin film layer formed of varnish applied to the top surface of the confidential information printed on the substrate, and a concealing layer formed on the top surface of the thin film layer by printing a concealing image with ink to conceal the confidential information, wherein the confidential information is covered by the concealing layer and cannot be seen, and the method comprises bringing an eraser into contact with the concealing layer printed on the top surface of the thin film layer and rubbing the concealing layer with the eraser, causing the ink-printed concealing layer to be absorbed by the surface of the eraser, thereby revealing the confidential information and making it visible. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printed matter in which secret information printed on a substrate is covered with a concealing layer to make it invisible, and even if a hard object hits the concealing layer, scratches the concealing layer, or bends the concealing layer, the concealing layer will not peel off, and the secret information can be made visible by removing the concealing layer by a method other than rubbing the concealing layer with a hard object. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams for explaining the configuration of a printed matter according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a schematic diagram showing a plan view of the printed matter before the concealing layer has been removed with an eraser, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing a plan view of the printed matter after the concealing layer has been removed with an eraser, making the secret information visible. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the AA cross section of the printed matter shown in FIG. [Figure 3]1A and 1B are schematic diagrams illustrating the process of removing the concealing layer of a printed matter with an eraser according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a schematic diagram showing the state before starting to rub the concealing layer of the printed matter with the eraser, (b) and (c) are schematic diagrams showing the state while the concealing layer of the printed matter is being rubbed with the eraser, and (d) is a schematic diagram showing the state after the concealing layer of the printed matter has been removed with the eraser. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The configuration of a printed matter according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a printed matter of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the printed matter shown in FIG. 1(a) taken along line AA.

[0018] As shown in the figure, the printed matter W of this embodiment has a substrate 10 on which confidential information 11 (in the illustrated example, the text information "Takeda Printing") is printed using a specified ink, a transparent thin film layer 12 formed by varnish applied to the top surface of the confidential information 11 printed on the substrate 10, and a concealing layer 14 formed by printing a concealing image that conceals the confidential information 11 on the top surface of the thin film layer 12 using a specified ink.

[0019] In the example shown in Figure 1(a), the concealing image that makes up the concealing layer 14 is made up of lines drawn randomly on top of each other (for ease of explanation, referred to as "messy lines"), and the "messy lines" are printed on the top surface of a transparent thin film layer 12 that is layered on top of the secret information 11 ("Takeda Printing" in the illustrated example), so that the secret information 11 is covered by the concealing layer 14 and cannot be seen. The concealing layer 14 is removed when rubbed with an eraser 100, and the confidential information 11 becomes visible.

[0020] Furthermore, the substrate 10 constituting the printed matter W may be, for example, coated paper or matte coated paper. In this way, by using coated paper or matte coated paper for the substrate 10, it is possible to make the thickness thinner than scratch prints made by conventional techniques. Note that scratch prints made by conventional techniques require the surface to be rubbed with a hard object such as a coin, so a substrate having a certain degree of thickness must be used.

[0021] Moreover, both the confidential information 11 and the concealed image are printed by offset printing using the same type of ink. The ink may be, for example, an offset ink. In this way, the printed matter W of this embodiment has the concealing layer 14 formed by offset printing, and therefore can be produced at a lower cost and in a shorter time than scratch printed matter of the prior art (scratch printed matter in which the concealing layer is printed using special ink (scratch ink)). In addition, printing of layers that are visible from the beginning can also be done by on-demand printing.

[0022] Furthermore, since the printed matter W of this embodiment has the 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 in the example shown in the figure, the concealing image forming the concealing layer 14 can be "messy lines." Furthermore, for example, the concealing image can be an "illustration," or the concealing image can be "letters" or "photographs (photographs of animals, landscapes, flowers, etc.)."

[0023] The varnish used to form the thin film layer 12 may be, for example, a release varnish (OP varnish (overprint varnish)) containing an extender pigment, synthetic resin, vegetable oil, mineral oil, carnauba wax, and an auxiliary agent. By forming the thin film layer 12 from a release varnish containing the above-mentioned components, the concealing layer 14 formed on the top surface by printing ink can be easily removed with an eraser 100. The varnish used to form the thin film layer 12 of the printed matter W in this embodiment is "Concealing Silver OP Varnish (Overprint Varnish)" manufactured by Naigai Ink Mfg. Co., Ltd.

[0024] The concealing layer 14 formed by laminating on the upper surface of the transparent thin film layer 12 formed by applying the varnish is formed by printing a concealing image with the same ink as that used to print the confidential information 11, so that the concealing layer 14 will not peel off even if it is hit by a hard object, scratched, or bent.

[0025] Next, with reference to FIG. 3, a procedure for removing the concealing layer 14 of the printed matter W of this embodiment with the eraser 100 to make the confidential information 11 visible will be described. Here, FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the process of removing the concealing layer of the printed matter of this embodiment with an eraser.

[0026] First, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the user places the eraser 100 on the concealing layer 14 of the printed matter W, in which the confidential information 11 (confidential information 11 covered with a transparent thin film layer 12) printed on the substrate 10 is covered by the concealing layer 14 and cannot be seen. Next, as shown in Figures 3(b) and (c), the user uses the eraser 100 to rub the concealing layer 14 printed and formed on the top surface of the thin film layer 12. This action gradually absorbs the concealing layer 14 formed from ink onto the surface of the eraser 100 and removes it, revealing the secret information 11 and making it visible, as shown in Figure 3(d).

[0027] In this way, the concealing layer 14 of the printed matter W of this embodiment can be removed with the stationery eraser 100 even if there is no hard object such as a coin on it. Furthermore, the concealing layer 14 of the printed matter W of this embodiment is formed by printing a concealing image with ink on top of a thin film layer 12 formed by applying varnish, so the concealing layer 14 will not peel off even if a hard object hits the concealing layer 14, scratches the concealing layer 14, or the concealing layer 14 is bent. Therefore, compared with the scratch-printed matter of the prior art, the printed matter W of this embodiment can reduce the effort required for management during distribution. Furthermore, even if a user folds the concealing layer 14 and stores it in a wallet or bag, the concealing layer 14c of the printed matter W of this embodiment will not peel off, making it easy for the user to handle.

[0028] As described above, according to this embodiment, a printed matter W is provided in which the secret information 11 printed on the substrate 10 is covered with a concealing layer 14 to make it invisible, and even if a hard object hits the concealing layer 14, scratches the concealing layer 14, or the concealing layer 14 is bent, the concealing layer 14 will not peel off.Instead, it is possible to provide a printed matter W in which the concealing layer 14 can be removed by a method other than rubbing the concealing layer 14 with a hard object (such as rubbing with an eraser), making the secret information 11 visible.

[0029] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. In the above-described embodiment, both the secret information 11 and the concealed image are printed by offset printing, but this is not a limitation. Both the secret information 11 and the concealed image may also be printed by on-demand printing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] W…printed matter 10...Base material 11…Confidential information 12...Thin film layer 14... Hidden layer 100...Eraser

Claims

1. a substrate on which confidential information is printed using ink; a transparent thin film layer formed of varnish applied on top of the confidential information printed on the substrate; a concealing layer formed by printing a concealing image on the top surface of the thin film layer with the ink, the concealing image concealing the secret information; the secret information is covered by the concealing layer and cannot be seen, The printed matter is characterized in that the concealing layer is removed when rubbed with an eraser, thereby making the secret information visible.

2. 2. The printed matter according to claim 1, wherein the varnish is a release varnish containing an extender pigment, a synthetic resin, a vegetable oil, a mineral oil, and carnauba wax.

3. A method for removing a concealing layer from a printed matter having a substrate on which confidential information is printed with ink, a transparent thin film layer formed by applying varnish to the top surface of the confidential information printed on the substrate, and a concealing layer formed on the top surface of the thin film layer by printing a concealing image with the ink to conceal the confidential information, wherein the confidential information is covered by the concealing layer and cannot be seen, and the method for removing a concealing layer from a printed matter comprises bringing an eraser into contact with the concealing layer printed on the top surface of the thin film layer and rubbing the concealing layer with the eraser, causing the ink-printed concealing layer to be absorbed onto the surface of the eraser, thereby revealing the confidential information and making it visible.

Images