Printed materials

Abstract

To provide a printed matter on which the reflectance of infrared light makes it easy to read a matrix type symbol but the reflectance of visible light makes it difficult to read it, and which can be produced inexpensively.SOLUTION: A camouflage pattern 8 consisting of light colors and dark colors is formed on a surface of a substrate 2 with an infrared light non-absorbing material, and further, a matrix type symbol 7 consisting of light color cells not absorbing infrared light and dark color cells absorbing infrared light is formed with an infrared light absorbing material so as to overlap the camouflage pattern 8. A printed matter is configured so that the camouflage pattern 8 includes a dot pattern or a checker pattern in a part where a pattern of the matrix type symbol 7 overlaps the camouflage pattern 8.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , , , , , , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a printed matter on which symbols are formed.

Background Art

[0002] Symbols such as barcodes and QR codes (registered trademarks) are printed on various printed matters. For general symbols, reading programs are widely distributed, and the recorded information of the symbols can be read by using a mobile terminal installed with the reading program. On the other hand, in order to enhance the secrecy of symbols, there has been proposed a printed matter in which a symbol formed of an infrared light absorbing material is concealed with a black coating pattern (black solid coating pattern) formed of an infrared light non-absorbing material (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In these printed matters, since the entire symbol exhibits black due to the black coating pattern, it is difficult to read the symbol with a symbol reading program of a mobile terminal that discriminates the symbol based on the reflection intensity of visible light. On the other hand, with a dedicated device that discriminates the symbol based on the reflection intensity of infrared light, the recorded information of the symbol can be surely read without being inhibited by the black coating pattern.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] On the other hand, the printed materials described in Patent Document 2 tend to have higher manufacturing costs compared to those described in Patent Document 1. Specifically, in the case of printed materials where the recorded information of the symbols differs from one sheet to the next, the configuration of Patent Document 1 allows for the formation of a black-filled pattern by the printing press, followed by the individual formation of the symbols by a printer. However, the configuration of Patent Document 2 requires the formation of the black-filled pattern after the symbols have been printed, making it difficult to form the black-filled pattern by the printing press. If a thermal-sensitive color-developing layer is placed beneath the black-filled pattern, and the symbols are thermally printed onto the thermal-sensitive color-developing layer after the black-filled pattern has been formed, the black-filled pattern can be formed by the printing press. However, in such a configuration, the paper cost increases due to the thermal-sensitive color-developing layer.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the current situation and aims to provide printed materials that can reliably prevent the reading of matrix-type symbols based on the reflectance intensity of visible light and that can be manufactured at low cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a printed material in which a symbol is formed on top of a camouflage pattern formed on the surface of a substrate, wherein the symbol is a matrix-type symbol formed by an infrared light absorbing material and consisting of light-colored cells that do not absorb infrared light and dark-colored cells that absorb infrared light, and the camouflage pattern is a camouflage pattern formed by an infrared light non-absorbing material and consisting of light-colored parts and dark-colored parts, and the printed material is characterized in that the camouflage pattern includes a dot pattern and / or a checker pattern in the portion where the camouflage pattern and the symbol overlap.

[0008] According to the inventor's research, this configuration can more reliably prevent symbol reading based on visible light reflection intensity by mobile devices and the like than the configuration in Patent Document 1. This is because, in the present invention, the areas where the light-colored parts of the symbol and the light-colored parts of the camouflage pattern overlap appear light, and the dark-colored parts of the symbol and the dark-colored parts of the camouflage pattern appear dark. Therefore, when the visible light reflection intensity of the symbol is measured, the contrast of the reflected light between the light-colored and dark-colored parts becomes high, and the slight difference in reflected light between the dark-colored parts of the symbol and the dark-colored parts of the camouflage pattern is disregarded, making it impossible to distinguish between the dark-colored parts of the symbol and the dark-colored parts of the camouflage pattern. Furthermore, as in the present invention, if the camouflage pattern is a dot pattern or a checker pattern, even if the entire light-colored part of the symbol does not appear black, it is easy to generate errors that exceed the error correction capability of a matrix-type symbol. Furthermore, since the printed material of the present invention has symbols formed on a camouflage pattern, it can be manufactured by first forming the camouflage pattern with a printing press, and then using a printer to form the symbols on the camouflage pattern. For this reason, the present invention also has the advantage of being able to be manufactured at a lower cost compared to the configuration of Patent Document 2 described above.

[0009] In the camouflage pattern according to the present invention, it is sufficient that the light and dark areas exhibit light and dark colors, respectively, in the parts that do not overlap with the dark cells of the symbol. However, it is desirable that the colors be such that the contrast between the light and dark areas is high. For this reason, it is desirable that the light areas according to the present invention be white or a color close to white, and that the dark areas be black or a color close to black. Furthermore, it is sufficient that the infrared light absorbing material and infrared light non-absorbing material according to the present invention possess absorption and non-absorption properties in a specific band of infrared light, and it is not necessary that they possess absorption and non-absorption properties throughout the entire infrared region.

[0010] In the present invention, the squares in the checkerboard pattern and the dots in the dot pattern that constitute the camouflage pattern do not have to be the same size as the cells that constitute the matrix-type symbol. The inventors have confirmed that in camouflage patterns in which the area of ​​the squares and dots is in the range of 1 / 2 to 6 times the area of ​​the symbol cells, the reading of the matrix-type symbol based on the reflectance of visible light can be prevented more reliably than in blacked-out patterns.

[0011] The area ratio of light and dark areas in the camouflage pattern according to the present invention is not particularly limited. The inventors have confirmed that in camouflage patterns where the area ratio of dark areas is in the range of 20 to 80%, the reading of matrix-type symbols based on the reflectance intensity of visible light can be prevented more reliably than in black-filled patterns.

[0012] In the present invention, it is proposed that in the portion where the camouflage pattern and the symbol overlap, the camouflage pattern includes a dark-colored fill pattern.

[0013] In this configuration, by including a dark-colored solid fill pattern in the camouflage pattern in addition to the dot pattern and / or checker pattern, the distribution of visible light reflection intensity in the symbol-forming area becomes uneven, thereby more reliably preventing the reading of symbols based on visible light reflection intensity.

[0014] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is proposed that at least the areas where the symbol and the camouflage pattern are formed are surface-coated with a transparent laminate film that transmits infrared light.

[0015] In this configuration, the gloss of the laminate film covering the symbol and camouflage pattern makes the difference in gloss between the dark areas of the symbol and the dark areas of the camouflage pattern less noticeable, making it even more difficult to distinguish between the dark areas of the symbol and the dark areas of the camouflage pattern based on the reflectance of visible light.

[0016] Furthermore, in the present invention, it is proposed that a layer made of a light-colored or transparent infrared light-non-absorbing material is formed in the light-colored areas of the camouflage pattern, and a layer made of a dark-colored infrared light-non-absorbing material is formed in the dark-colored areas of the camouflage pattern.

[0017] As in this configuration, by forming layers made of an infrared light non-absorbing material on both the light and dark areas of the camouflage pattern, the surface irregularities of the camouflage pattern are reduced, making it easier to form symbols on the camouflage pattern and reducing the likelihood of blurring or loss during symbol formation.

[0018] Furthermore, in the present invention, the camouflage pattern is covered by a transparent coating layer made of a transparent infrared light non-absorbing material, and the entire symbol is formed on the transparent coating layer. Here, the transparent coating layer is not limited to colorless and transparent, but also includes those with a tint.

[0019] In this configuration, since the entire symbol is formed on a homogeneous transparent coating layer, the symbol can be formed more stably compared to when the symbol is directly formed on a heterogeneous camouflage pattern. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] As described above, the present invention makes it possible to manufacture at low cost printed materials that can reliably prevent the reading of matrix-type symbols based on the reflectance intensity of visible light. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0021] [Figure 1] It is a plan view of the printed matter 1 of Example 1. [Figure 2] It is an explanatory view showing the formation mode of the QR code 7. [Figure 3] (A) is an explanatory view showing the QR code 7 formed on the printed matter 1. (B) is an explanatory view showing the camouflage pattern 8 formed on the printed matter 1. (C) is an explanatory view showing a state where the QR code 7 and the camouflage pattern 8 are overlapped. [Figure 4] (A) is an explanatory view showing the QR code 7 according to Example 2. (B) is an explanatory view showing the camouflage pattern 8a according to Example 2. (C) is an explanatory view showing a state where the QR code 7 and the camouflage pattern 8a are overlapped. [Figure 5] (A) is an explanatory view showing the camouflage pattern 8b according to Example 3. (B) is an explanatory view showing the camouflage pattern 8b according to Example 4. (C) is an explanatory view showing the camouflage pattern 8c of the modification example. [Figure 6] (A) is an explanatory view showing the cross-sectional structure of the printed matter 1 according to Example 1. (B) is an explanatory view showing the cross-sectional structure of the printed matter 1a according to Example 5. (C) is an explanatory view showing the cross-sectional structure of the printed matter 1b according to Example 6. (D) is an explanatory view showing the cross-sectional structure of the printed matter 1c according to Example 7. [Figure 7] It is a chart showing the results of Test 1.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Embodiments according to the present invention will be described according to the following examples. In the following examples, the QR code 7 corresponds to the symbol according to the present invention. Also, the black infrared light absorbing ink corresponds to the infrared light absorbing material according to the present invention, and the black infrared light transmitting ink corresponds to the infrared light non-absorbing material according to the present invention.

Examples

[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the printed material 1 in this embodiment is a museum admission ticket. Printed material 1 has human-readable text information 4 and 5 formed on the surface of a white base material 2 made of high-quality paper. Of the text information, "xxx Museum" is fixed text information 4 that is common to all admission tickets, and "Expiration Date..." is variable text information 5 that may differ depending on the admission ticket. In addition, a QR code 7 is formed on the surface of printed material 1. As shown in Figure 2, the QR code 7 is formed so as to overlap with the camouflage pattern 8. The QR code 7 records a unique number that is individually assigned to each admission ticket. That is, each printed material 1 has a different QR code 7 formed on it. Such printed material 1 can be used, for example, by having the admission management system read the QR code 7 upon entry, and if the admission management system determines that the unique number recorded in the QR code 7 is valid, admission is permitted.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3(A), the QR code 7 is composed of square cells arranged vertically and horizontally. The cells consist of light-colored cells and dark-colored cells, and information is recorded by the pattern of light-colored and dark-colored cells. In addition, square-shaped finder patterns 10 for detecting the position of the QR code 7 are formed at three corners of the QR code 7. Furthermore, a certain range of blank space 11 (quiet zone) is provided around the QR code 7. Note that, except for points not mentioned in this document, the QR code 7 is created in accordance with existing standards (JIS X 0510).

[0025] The QR code 7 is formed using black infrared light absorbing ink. Specifically, the QR code 7 is formed by solid printing of black infrared light absorbing ink only on the dark-colored cell portions. That is, when the QR code 7 is formed directly on the surface of the substrate 2, the dark-colored cell portions where the black infrared light absorbing ink is solidly printed will appear black, and the light-colored cell portions where the infrared light absorbing ink is not printed will appear white due to the base color of the substrate 2, as shown in Figure 3(A). However, in this embodiment, since the QR code 7 is formed on top of the camouflage pattern 8, the visibility of the QR code 7 is impaired under visible light illumination.

[0026] Camouflage pattern 8, as shown in Figure 3(B), is a checkerboard pattern in which white squares (light areas) and black squares (dark areas) are arranged alternately. The size of the white and black squares that make up camouflage pattern 8 is the same as the size of the cells in QR code 7. Camouflage pattern 8 is formed in a square area that is slightly larger than QR code 7. Specifically, camouflage pattern 8 is formed to be just large enough to fit QR code 7 and the surrounding blank area 11. Camouflage pattern 8 is formed with black infrared light-transmitting ink. Specifically, black infrared light-transmitting ink is solidly printed on the dark areas (black square parts), while the infrared light-transmitting ink is not printed on the light areas (white square parts) of camouflage pattern 8, leaving the surface of the white substrate 2 exposed.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3(C), the QR code 7 is formed in the center of the camouflage pattern 8 such that the entire QR code 7 and the blank area 11 overlap with the camouflage pattern 8. The dark areas of the camouflage pattern 8 are black, as shown in Figure 3(B). However, in Figure 3(C), for convenience, the parts of the dark areas of the camouflage pattern 8 that do not overlap with the dark cells are shown in gray to make it easier to identify the dark cells of the QR code 7 (in reality, it is visible as shown in Figure 1). Thus, in this embodiment, because the QR code 7 overlaps with the camouflage pattern 8, the light-colored parts of the QR code 7 (light-colored cells and blank area 11) also appear black in the parts that overlap with the dark areas of the camouflage pattern 8 (the gray parts in Figure 3(C)). In this example, since the checker pattern that makes up the camouflage pattern 8 has equal areas for light and dark colors, approximately 50% of the light color portion of the QR code 7 overlaps with the dark color portion of the camouflage pattern 8, appearing black, while the remaining approximately 50% overlaps with the light color portion of the camouflage pattern 8, appearing white.

[0028] In printed material 1 of this embodiment, it is difficult to read the recorded information of QR code 7 based on the reflectance intensity of visible light. This is because, as mentioned above, in this embodiment, not only the dark cells of QR code 7 but also about 50% of the light-colored parts of QR code 7 appear black. Specifically, reading the recorded information of QR code 7 requires a position detection process that detects the position of QR code 7 by detecting the finder pattern 10, etc., and a light / dark determination process that determines whether each cell of QR code 7 is a light-colored cell or a dark-colored cell. However, when the light-colored cells and half of the blank area 11 appear black and the other half appear white, it is difficult to complete the position detection process successfully. Furthermore, in the light / dark determination process, about half of the light-colored cells of QR code 7 are misidentified as dark-colored cells, so even if the position detection process is completed successfully, decoding the recorded information of QR code 7 is difficult. Furthermore, while QR Code 7 can decode recorded information even if it misjudges the brightness of a cell, as long as it is within the correction range of the error correction function, misjudgements that occur sporadically and over a wide area due to camouflage pattern 8 cannot be contained within the correction range of QR Code 7.

[0029] In the printed material 1 of this embodiment, by measuring the infrared light reflection intensity using a dedicated device, the light and dark pattern of the QR code 7 can be accurately identified and the recorded information of the QR code 7 can be read. This is because the light and dark patterns of the camouflage pattern 8 formed with infrared light-transmitting ink are not reflected in the level of infrared light reflection intensity, while only the light and dark patterns of the QR code 7 formed with infrared light-absorbing ink are reflected in the level of infrared light reflection intensity. Specifically, when the infrared light reflection intensity of the areas where the QR code 7 is formed is measured, in the white areas of Figure 3(C), the infrared light is directly reflected by the surface of the substrate 2, and in the gray areas of Figure 3(C), the infrared light passes through the infrared light-transmitting ink forming the camouflage pattern 8 and is directly reflected by the surface of the substrate 2, so the reflectivity of infrared light is high in the white and gray areas of Figure 3(C). On the other hand, in the black areas of Figure 3(C), the infrared light is absorbed by the infrared light-absorbing ink forming the dark cells of the QR code 7, so the infrared light reflection intensity is low. Thus, in this embodiment, the infrared light reflection intensity is low only in the dark cells of the QR code 7. Therefore, by measuring the infrared light reflection intensity, the light and dark pattern of the QR code 7 can be accurately identified, and the recorded information of the QR code 7 can be read.

[0030] As described above, the printed material 1 of this embodiment 1 allows the recorded information of the QR code 7 to be read based on the infrared light reflection intensity, but copies of the printed material 1 of this embodiment 1 cannot read the recorded information of the QR code 7 based on the infrared light reflection intensity. This is because ordinary photocopiers do not take into account the infrared light reflection characteristics during copying, so the infrared light reflection characteristics of the original are not reproduced in the copies. In other words, the printed material 1 of this embodiment can be prevented from being copied by a photocopier.

[0031] An efficient manufacturing method for the printed material 1 (admission ticket) in this embodiment involves printing only the common printing (fixed character information 4 and camouflage pattern 8) that is common to all admission tickets onto the base material 2 using a printing press at a printing company, and then printing the unique printing (variable character information 5 and QR code 7) that differs depending on the admission ticket, one by one using a printer at the ticket issuing office. In this way, by printing the common printing in advance using a printing press and then adding the unique printing with a printer, the cost of issuing the printed material 1 can be reduced. In this embodiment, since the unique printing, QR code 7, is formed on top of the common printing, camouflage pattern 8, such a low-cost manufacturing method can be adopted. In Figures 1 and 3, the QR code 7 is positioned so that the cells of the QR code 7 and the square shapes of the checker pattern of the camouflage pattern 8 perfectly overlap, but the printed material 1 in this embodiment can achieve the same effect even if there is a misalignment between the overlapping cells of the QR code 7 and the square shapes of the camouflage pattern 8. In other words, precise alignment of the QR code 7 and the camouflage pattern 8 is not required in the manufacturing process of the printed material 1 in this embodiment.

[0032] As described above, the printed material 1 of this embodiment allows for the inexpensive manufacture of a QR code 7 that is easily readable based on the reflection intensity of infrared light and difficult to read based on the reflection intensity of visible light.

[0033] Examples 2 to 7 are described below. Examples 2 to 7 are modified versions of the configuration of Example 1 described above. For this reason, components similar to those in Example 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals in the text and figures, and detailed explanations are omitted. [Examples]

[0034] This embodiment modifies the shape of the camouflage pattern from Embodiment 1. Specifically, in Embodiment 1, the entire camouflage pattern 8 is composed of a checker pattern (see Figure 3(B)), whereas in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4(B), the camouflage pattern 8a is composed of a checker pattern 14 and a black-filled pattern (solid black pattern) 15. The black-filled pattern 15 forms a rectangular frame on the outer periphery of the square-shaped camouflage pattern 8a, and the checker pattern 14 is formed inside the black-filled pattern 15. The size of the white and black squares that make up the checker pattern 14 is the same as in Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 4(A), the QR code 7 is the same as in Embodiment 1, and the checker pattern 14 is a square that is slightly smaller than the QR code 7. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4(C), the QR code 7 is formed on the camouflage pattern 8a such that its outer periphery and blank area 11 overlap with the black-filled pattern 15.

[0035] As in this embodiment, the camouflage pattern according to the present invention may be such that the checker pattern 14 does not overlap the entire QR code 7. In this embodiment, the distribution of visible light reflection intensity differs between the part of the QR code 7 that overlaps with the checker pattern 14 and the part of the QR code 7 that overlaps with the black-filled pattern 15, making it even more difficult to read the QR code 7 based on the visible light reflection intensity. In addition, in this embodiment, since the outer periphery of the camouflage pattern 8a is the black-filled pattern 15, even if the QR code 7 is formed at a position offset from the center of the camouflage pattern 8a, the offset in formation position is less noticeable, which has the advantage of making it easier to maintain aesthetic appeal. [Examples]

[0036] This embodiment modifies the shape of the camouflage pattern from Embodiment 1. Specifically, in Embodiment 1, the camouflage pattern 8 is composed of a checkerboard pattern consisting of white and black squares (see Figure 3(B)), whereas in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5(A), the camouflage pattern 8b is composed of a checkerboard pattern consisting of white and black vertical rectangles. Thus, the rectangles that make up the checkerboard pattern of the camouflage pattern may differ in size and shape from the cells that make up the QR code 7. [Examples]

[0037] This embodiment modifies the shape of the camouflage pattern from Embodiment 1. Specifically, in Embodiment 1, the camouflage pattern 8 is composed of a checkerboard pattern (see Figure 3(B)), whereas in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5(B), the camouflage pattern 8c is composed of a dot pattern of black dots on a white background. The dots are circular in shape, and their diameter is equal to the length of one side of the cell in the QR code 7.

[0038] Thus, even when the camouflage pattern according to the present invention is a dot pattern, reading the QR code 7 based on the reflectance intensity of visible light becomes difficult. The size of the dots can be appropriately changed from the size of the above embodiment, and the shape of the dots is not limited to circles, but may be polygonal, star-shaped, etc. Furthermore, the dot pattern is not limited to a dot pattern consisting of dark dots on a light background, but may also be a dot pattern in which light dots are arranged on a dark background, as in the camouflage pattern 8d shown in Figure 5(C). In addition, the size and shape of the individual dots constituting the dot pattern may be uneven, and the arrangement of the dots is not limited to equal intervals, but may be arranged irregularly. [Examples]

[0039] This embodiment is a printed material from Example 1 that has been covered with a laminating film. More specifically, as shown in Figure 6(A), printed material 1 of Example 1 is simply a camouflage pattern 8 formed with infrared light-transmitting ink 20, on which a QR code 7 has been formed with infrared light-absorbing ink 21. In contrast, printed material 1a of this embodiment is a printed material from Example 1 that has been laminated by attaching a transparent laminating film 18 to both sides, as shown in Figure 6(B). In printed material 1 of Example 1, as shown in Figure 6(A), the infrared light-transmitting ink 20 that forms the camouflage pattern 8 and the infrared light-absorbing ink 21 that forms the QR code 7 are exposed on the surface of printed material 1, so the difference in gloss between the infrared light-transmitting ink 20 and the infrared light-absorbing ink 21 is reflected relatively strongly in the visible light reflection intensity. In contrast, as in this embodiment, if the printed material 1a is covered with a laminating film 18, the gloss of the laminating film 18 will cause the difference in gloss between the infrared light-transmitting ink 20 and the infrared light-absorbing ink 21 to hardly be reflected in the visible light reflectance. Therefore, it becomes even more difficult to distinguish between the QR code 7 and the camouflage pattern 8 based on the visible light reflectance. [Examples]

[0040] This embodiment modifies the camouflage pattern configuration from Embodiment 1. Specifically, the camouflage pattern 8e of this embodiment is composed of a checker pattern similar to the camouflage pattern 8 of Embodiment 1 (see Figure 3(B)). Here, in printed material 1 of Embodiment 1, the light-colored parts of the camouflage pattern 8 (checker pattern) whiteIn this embodiment, ink is not printed on the colored areas, leaving the white background of the substrate 2 exposed (see Figure 6(A)). However, in the printed material 1b of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6(C), white infrared light-transmitting ink 22 is formed on the light-colored areas of the camouflage pattern 8e. With this configuration, if the infrared light-transmitting ink 22 on the light-colored areas is formed with the same thickness as the infrared light-transmitting ink 20 on the dark-colored areas, the surface irregularities of the camouflage pattern 8e are reduced, making it possible to form the QR code 7 on the camouflage pattern 8e relatively easily. This allows even a relatively low-performance printer to print the QR code 7 without causing printing defects such as smudging or missing parts. In this embodiment, white infrared light-transmitting ink 22 is formed on the light-colored areas of the camouflage pattern 8e, but a light-colored ink other than white or a transparent ink may be used instead of white ink. [Examples]

[0041] This embodiment is a modified version of the configuration of Embodiment 1. Specifically, in Embodiment 1, the QR code 7 is directly formed on the camouflage pattern 8 formed with infrared light-transmitting ink 20 (see Figure 6(A)), whereas in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6(D), a transparent coating layer 25 made of transparent infrared light-transmitting ink is formed to cover the entire camouflage pattern 8, and the QR code 7 is formed on the transparent coating layer 25 with black infrared light-absorbing ink 21. The camouflage pattern 8 consists of dark areas where black infrared light-transmitting ink 20 is formed and light areas where the substrate 2 is exposed, and the surface is heterogeneous. Therefore, if the QR code 7 is directly formed on the camouflage pattern 8 as in Embodiment 1, the adhesion of the infrared light-absorbing ink 21 becomes unstable between the light and dark areas of the camouflage pattern 8. However, in this embodiment, since the entire QR code 7 is formed on the transparent coating layer 25, the adhesion of the infrared light-absorbing ink 21 can be stabilized.

[0042] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the configurations of the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the configurations of Embodiments 1 to 7 described above can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, the configurations of the embodiments described above can be modified as follows.

[0043] The above embodiment is a printed material on which a QR code has been formed, but the symbol according to the present invention is not limited to a QR code, and may be a matrix-type symbol such as a micro QR code, DataMatrix®, or MaxiCode.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the infrared light absorbing ink and the infrared light transmitting ink correspond to the infrared light absorbing material and the infrared light non-absorbing material according to the present invention. However, the infrared light absorbing material and the infrared light non-absorbing material according to the present invention are not limited to inks but may also be toners or the like. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the ink that forms the QR code 7 and the camouflage pattern 8 is formed by solid printing, but the QR code 7 and the camouflage pattern 8 may also be formed by halftone printing of the ink.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the light-colored parts (light-colored cells and blank parts 11) of the QR code 7 are formed in white, and the dark-colored parts (dark-colored cells) of the QR code 7 are formed in black. However, the light-colored parts of the QR code 7 may be formed in a light color other than white, and the dark-colored parts of the QR code 7 may be formed in a dark color other than black. Similarly, in the above embodiment, the light-colored parts of the camouflage pattern 8 are formed in white, and the dark-colored parts of the camouflage pattern 8 are formed in black. However, the light-colored parts of the camouflage pattern 8 may be formed in a light color other than white, and the dark-colored parts of the camouflage pattern 8 may be formed in a dark color other than black. Furthermore, it is desirable that the light-colored parts of the QR code 7 and the camouflage pattern 8 be the same or similar light colors, but they may be different. Similarly, it is desirable that the dark-colored parts of the QR code 7 and the camouflage pattern 8 be the same or similar dark colors, but they may be different. In addition, the surface color of the substrate according to the present invention is not limited to white; other colors may be used.

[0046] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the arrangement of the squares in the checkerboard pattern of the camouflage pattern 8 and the arrangement of the cells in the QR code 7 were aligned. However, it is also acceptable to overlap them so that the arrangement direction of the checkerboard pattern and the arrangement direction of the QR code 7 are tilted. Similarly, if the camouflage pattern 8 is a dot pattern, it is also acceptable to overlap them so that the arrangement direction of the dots in the camouflage pattern 8 and the arrangement direction of the QR code 7 are tilted.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the camouflage pattern 8 is formed to overlap the entire QR code 7, but in the present invention, the camouflage pattern 8 may be configured to overlap only a part of the symbol. When the camouflage pattern 8 overlaps only a part of the symbol, it is desirable that the area ratio of the camouflage pattern 8 exceeds the error correction rate of the symbol in order to reliably prevent the symbol from being read based on the reflectance intensity of visible light.

[0048] <Test sample 1> A printed material prepared according to the configuration of Example 1 above was designated as Test Sample 1. In Test Sample 1, the size of the squares constituting the checkerboard pattern of the camouflage pattern was set to 0.42 mm on each side. The QR code was version 4, error correction level M, and the cells were set to 0.42 mm squares on each side.

[0049] <Test samples 2-4> Test samples 2-4 were created by changing the camouflage pattern of test sample 1 from a checkerboard pattern to a dot pattern with black dots on a white background. The black dots were square in shape with sides of 0.42 mm. Furthermore, by appropriately adjusting the spacing of the black dots in test samples 2-4, the area ratio of the dark areas was set to 20% (test sample 2), 30% (test sample 3), and 40% (test sample 4).

[0050] <Test samples 5-7> Test samples 5-7 were created by changing the camouflage pattern of test sample 1 from a checkerboard pattern to a dot pattern with white dots on a black background. The white dots were square in shape with sides of 0.42 mm. Furthermore, by appropriately adjusting the spacing of the white dots in test samples 5-7, the area ratio of the dark areas was adjusted to 60% (test sample 5), 70% (test sample 6), and 80% (test sample 7).

[0051] <Test samples 8-12> Test product 1 was modified by changing the cell size of the QR code. 8~12 Specifically, the length of one side of each square cell was set to 0.17 mm for test sample 8, 0.25 mm for test sample 9, 0.33 mm for test sample 10, 0.51 mm for test sample 11, and 0.6 mm for test sample 12.

[0052] <Comparison items 1, 2> Comparative sample 1 was created by changing the camouflage pattern of test sample 1 from a checkerboard pattern to a black-filled pattern. Comparative sample 2 was created by removing the camouflage pattern from test sample 1.

[0053] <Test 1> Multiple QR code reading programs were installed on mobile devices (smartphones), and attempts were made to read the QR codes of test products 1-12 and comparative products 1 and 2 using each program. The success or failure of reading the recorded information in the QR codes was determined based on the visible light reflectance intensity. The results are shown in Figure 7.

[0054] As shown in Figure 7, all reading programs failed to read the QR code in Test Sample 1, whereas some reading programs successfully read the QR code in Comparison Sample 1. This indicates that a camouflage pattern consisting of a checkerboard pattern can more reliably prevent QR code reading based on visible light reflectivity than a configuration superimposed with a black pattern.

[0055] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, all reading programs failed to read the QR codes for test samples 2-7. This indicates that a camouflage pattern consisting of dots is more effective at preventing QR code reading based on visible light reflectivity than a configuration superimposed with a black pattern.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, all reading programs failed to read the QR codes for test samples 8-12. This indicates that even if the size of the squares constituting the camouflage pattern does not match the size of the QR code cells, it is possible to reliably prevent QR code reading based on visible light reflectivity more effectively than with a black-filled pattern.

[0057] <Exam 2> For test samples 1-12 and comparative samples 1 and 2, we attempted to read the QR codes based on the infrared light reflection intensity using a dedicated reader. As a result, we were able to read the information recorded in the QR codes for all of test samples 1-12 and comparative samples 1 and 2. This result indicates that camouflage patterns consisting of checkerboard patterns and dot patterns do not interfere with the reading of QR codes based on infrared light reflection intensity.

[0058] <Exam 3> Test samples 1-12 and comparative samples 1 and 2 were copied using a standard photocopier, and attempts were made to read the recorded information of the QR code from the copied portion of each copy, in the same manner as in Test 1 above. As a result, the recorded information of the QR code could not be read even once from the copies of test samples 1-12 and comparative sample 1. On the other hand, the QR code on the copy of comparative sample 2, which did not have a camouflage pattern, was successfully read by all reading programs. This result indicates that camouflage patterns consisting of checkerboard patterns and dot patterns can prevent QR code copying, just like black-covered patterns. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 1 Printed matter 2 Base material 4 Fixed character information 5 Variable character information 7. QR code (symbol) 8 camouflage patterns 10 Finder Patterns 11 Blank area 14 Checker pattern 15 Black painted pattern 18 Laminating film 20. Infrared light absorbing ink (infrared light absorbing material) 21. Infrared light transmitting ink (infrared light non-absorbing material)

Claims

1. A printed material in which a symbol is formed so as to overlap a camouflage pattern formed on the surface of a substrate, The aforementioned symbol is a matrix-type symbol consisting of light-colored cells that do not absorb infrared light and dark-colored cells that absorb infrared light, formed by an infrared light absorbing material. The aforementioned camouflage pattern is a camouflage pattern consisting of light-colored areas and dark-colored areas, formed by an infrared light non-absorbing material. In the portion where the camouflage pattern and the symbol overlap, the camouflage pattern includes a dot pattern and / or a checker pattern. The aforementioned camouflage pattern includes a checkerboard pattern in which square light-colored and dark-colored areas are alternately arranged in the areas where the symbols overlap. The aforementioned symbol is a QR code, A printed material characterized in that the light-colored and dark-colored squares constituting the checker pattern have an area of ​​1 / 2 to 6 times the area of ​​the light-colored cell and the dark-colored cell.

2. A printed material in which a symbol is formed so as to overlap a camouflage pattern formed on the surface of a substrate, The aforementioned symbol is a matrix-type symbol consisting of light-colored cells that do not absorb infrared light and dark-colored cells that absorb infrared light, formed by an infrared light absorbing material. The aforementioned camouflage pattern is a camouflage pattern consisting of light-colored areas and dark-colored areas, formed by an infrared light non-absorbing material. The aforementioned camouflage pattern is, A rectangular frame-shaped black pattern overlapping the outer periphery of the symbol and the blank space surrounding the symbol, A printed material characterized by including a dot pattern and / or a checkerboard pattern that overlaps with the symbol inside the black-filled pattern.

3. A printed material in which a symbol is formed so as to overlap a camouflage pattern formed on the surface of a substrate, The aforementioned symbol is a matrix-type symbol consisting of light-colored cells that do not absorb infrared light and dark-colored cells that absorb infrared light, formed by an infrared light absorbing material. The aforementioned camouflage pattern is a camouflage pattern consisting of light-colored areas and dark-colored areas, formed by an infrared light non-absorbing material. In the portion where the camouflage pattern and the symbol overlap, the camouflage pattern includes a dot pattern and / or a checker pattern. A layer made of a dark-colored infrared light-non-absorbing material is formed in the dark-colored areas of the camouflage pattern. A printed material characterized in that a layer made of an infrared light-non-absorbing material, which is the same white or transparent as the surface of the substrate, is formed on the light-colored portion of the camouflage pattern in such a way as to reduce the surface irregularities of the camouflage pattern.

4. The printed material according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least the areas where the symbol and the camouflage pattern are formed are surface-coated with a transparent laminate film that transmits infrared light.

5. The aforementioned camouflage pattern is covered by a transparent coating layer made of a transparent infrared light non-absorbing material. The printed material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the entire symbol is formed on the transparent coating layer.

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