A method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties, and trading cards manufactured by the said manufacturing 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 a trading card with improved surface characteristics and a trading card manufactured by the manufacturing method, and more particularly to a trading card provided with a holographic effect using ultraviolet (UV) transfer coating, in which the thickness of the UV coating layer is thick, no bubbles are generated, and the trading card has excellent gloss. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a trading card and a trading card manufactured thereby.

Background Art

[0002] A trading card game is a game played using "trading cards" (also called collectable cards in the English-speaking world and often abbreviated as "treka" in Japan) designed based on a specific theme and rules. Related content is printed on both sides of each trading card. For example, if a photo of a person is printed on the front, the back side contains content explaining the person. Such trading cards can themselves become objects of collection.

[0003] Trading cards are sold in a form where a predetermined number of cards out of a specific series are randomly packaged. For example, 2 to 3 trading cards are packaged in opaque vinyl transparent paper and sold on the market. Individuals who own duplicate cards can secure a variety of cards by exchanging them with other users.

[0004] On the other hand, various special coatings are applied to trading cards to enhance durability, protect the trading cards, improve the appearance, and create a sense of luxury, richness, and glamour, providing collectors and players with more play and enjoyment.

[0005] These special coatings include: gloss coating, which gives the card surface a sparkling, glossy appearance and enhances the dynamism of the colors and graphics; matte coating, which reduces reflection, helps prevent dust and fingerprints, and creates a casual or sophisticated look; foil stamping, which uses metallic foil in specific areas to create a glamorous and luxurious appearance; spot UV varnish, which applies a high-gloss coating to specific areas to emphasize the image or text and add depth and dimension; soft touch coating, which creates a velvety soft surface and improves the texture and grip of the card; UV coating, which provides a protective layer to prevent discoloration, scratches, and damage from exposure; embossing / debossing, which creates raised or lower areas on the card surface to emphasize the image or text; and holographic effects, which give the card a sparkling effect from various angles to improve its appearance. Effects such as ( ) are used.

[0006] Among the special coatings mentioned above, one widely used method for providing a holographic effect is the use of a UV-cast film on which a holographic pattern is formed on the surface.

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

[0008] In other words, a hologram pattern corresponding to the hologram pattern formed on the UV-cast film is formed on the trading card in a UV varnish that is coated and cured, thereby giving the trading card a hologram effect.

[0009] However, because the UV varnish coating layer is formed as an ultra-thin film, depending on the surface condition of the trading card, i.e., the printing condition, surface tension, etc., the UV varnish may not be applied uniformly to the trading card. As a result, not only may a very small area of ​​the trading card surface be left uncoated with UV varnish, or air bubbles may form in the UV varnish, but the UV varnish coating layer also suffers from poor durability.

[0010] Such uneven coating and bubble formation of UV varnish significantly detract from the appearance of trading cards, and thin UV varnish coating layers reduce the durability of the coating layer; therefore, solutions to address this are desired. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0011] The present invention was created to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a method for manufacturing trading cards that have excellent gloss and adhesive strength, while minimizing the generation of air bubbles and increasing glossiness, thereby improving the appearance and design, and to provide trading cards with improved appearance and design. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a trading card with improved surface properties, comprising: a first step of supplying a trading card having a UV varnish coating layer formed thereon; a second step of printing and applying UV varnish onto the top of the UV varnish coating layer; a third step of attaching a UV cast film to the top of the trading card coated with UV varnish; 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 present invention provides a method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties, which not only increases the glossiness of the surface by increasing the thickness of the UV varnish coating layer by forming another UV varnish coating layer on top of the existing 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 on which the UV varnish coating layer is formed may include the steps of: 1-1 supplying a trading card; 2-1 printing and applying UV varnish to the upper part of the trading card; 3-1 attaching a UV cast film to the upper part of the trading card on which the UV varnish has been applied; 4-1 curing the UV varnish using a UV lamp; and 5-1 peeling off the UV cast film.

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

[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 adjusted to 2 to 5 kW. If the output of the UV lamp exceeds the above range, the adhesion between the UV varnish coating layer and the trading card decreases, and the strength of the UV varnish coating layer weakens.

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

[0018] In the method for manufacturing a trading card with improved surface properties according to the present invention, it is preferable that in the third step and step 3-1, the UV cast film in which a UV varnish is applied is subjected to static electricity removal by static elimination equipment and the surface is cleaned by an air cleaner before being applied 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 a trading card with improved surface properties according to the present invention, the second step of printing and applying UV varnish to the upper part of the UV varnish coating layer and the second-first step of printing and applying UV varnish to the upper part of the trading card include printing and applying UV varnish to a portion of the trading card using a flexographic plate having recesses and protrusions, wherein the protrusions preferably have a size of 99 to 99.5% of the size corresponding to a portion of the trading card. If the protrusions of the flexographic plate exceed the range, a hologram pattern larger than the desired shape is formed, and if it is less than the range, a hologram pattern smaller than the desired shape is formed, so the boundary between the content printed on the trading card and the hologram pattern does not accurately match, resulting in 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 effect between the unprinted and printed parts of the hologram pattern can create various design effects depending on the characters, background, etc. printed on the trading card. In addition, if the UV varnish is coated and cured twice, the glossiness increases, further enhancing the hologram effect.

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

[0021] According to the present invention, a method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties makes it possible to produce trading cards that have outstanding gloss while also having a clean surface free of air bubbles, thereby enabling the production of higher-quality trading cards. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0022] [Figure 1]Shows the steps of an embodiment of a method for manufacturing a trading card with improved surface characteristics according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a photograph of the surface of a trading card. (a) shows the case where the UV varnish is coated once, and the circles indicate the parts where bubbles occurred. (b) shows the case where the UV varnish is coated twice, and almost no bubbles can be found. [Figure 3] When evaluating the adhesive force after the UV varnish is coated twice, it shows the case where the UV varnish coating layer is completely peeled off. [Figure 4] When evaluating the pencil hardness after the UV varnish is coated twice, it shows (a) the case where a part of the coating layer is damaged, and (b) the case where the coating layer is completely damaged. [Figure 5] Shows a trading card in which the unprinted part A and the printed part B of the hologram pattern are separated using a flexographic plate with concave and convex parts formed.

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings. However, these drawings are merely illustrative and the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0024] Fig. 1 shows the steps of an embodiment of a method for manufacturing a trading card with improved surface characteristics according to the present invention.

[0025] Trading cards are continuously supplied to a UV varnish printing apparatus in the form of a full sheet (a large sheet-like base paper circulated from a paper manufacturer) or a roll on which a large number of trading cards are printed.

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

[0027] A UV-cast film with a hologram pattern formed on it is continuously supplied and attached to the top of a trading card that has been printed and coated with the aforementioned UV varnish, and then bonded to the trading card.

[0028] Trading cards with UV-cast film attached are placed in a curing machine equipped with a UV lamp, and the UV varnish is cured by UV light and adheres to the trading cards.

[0029] After passing through the curing machine, the UV-cast film is peeled off the trading card, and the UV-cast film is wound up and ready for reuse.

[0030] After the UV-cast film is peeled off, a cured UV varnish coating layer remains on the top of the trading card, having a pattern that corresponds to the shape of the hologram pattern formed on the UV-cast film, causing the trading card to exhibit a holographic effect.

[0031] The present invention provides a method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties, which involves supplying trading cards at a speed of 35 to 40 meters per minute, printing UV varnish at the same speed, attaching a UV cast film, curing and coating the UV varnish, and peeling off the UV cast film to manufacture trading cards.

[0032] In the method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention, a UV lamp with a maximum output of 8 kW can be used as the UV lamp of the UV lamp-equipped curing machine, 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 6-8 cm.

[0034] The following describes one embodiment of a method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention.

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

[0036] Using the method described above, the UV varnish was applied once or twice while adjusting the output of the UV lamp, and then cured. The results of evaluating the degree of bubble formation, glossiness, adhesion strength of the varnish coating layer, and strength of the coating layer of the trading cards are shown in Table 1 below.

[0037] The degree of bubble generation was evaluated by converting the frequency of bubbles identifiable by visual observation into a score, with the highest frequency of bubble generation being rated as 10 and the absence of bubbles being rated 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: after applying adhesive tape to the UV varnish coating layer and then removing the adhesive tape, "○" was evaluated if there was no abnormality in the UV varnish coating layer, "△" was evaluated if a part of it peeled off, and "×" was evaluated if the entire layer peeled off.

[0039] The strength of the coating layer was evaluated by pulling the UV varnish coating layer at a 45° angle using a 3H pencil, which has approximately the same hardness as a fingernail. "○" indicated no abnormality in the coating layer, "△" indicated partial destruction, and "×" indicated complete destruction.

[0040] [Table 1]

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

[0042] In other words, Example 2 means that after manufacturing a trading card coated and cured with UV varnish using a 2.5kW UV lamp according to Example 1, the UV varnish is further printed on the trading card and then cured again using a 2.5kW UV lamp, while Examples 3 to 5 mean that the cards are cured again using 4.0, 5.5, and 7.0kW UV lamps, respectively.

[0043] In Examples 7-10, 12-15, and 17-20, the only difference is the output value of the UV lamp used during the single coating process, as described above.

[0044] As is clear from Table 1, in all cases where UV varnish was applied only once, a large number of bubbles formed in the UV varnish, resulting in an unsatisfactory surface condition (see Examples 1, 6, 11, 16, and Figure 2(a)). However, both the adhesion and strength of the UV varnish coating layer were good.

[0045] As is clear from Examples 2-5 and 7-10, applying UV varnish twice significantly reduces air bubbles in the UV varnish coating layer, improving the surface condition (see Figure 2(b)) and increasing the glossiness of the trading cards.

[0046] In terms of adhesive strength and durability, good levels were sometimes maintained even after two coatings (see Examples 2 and 3), while in other cases the adhesive strength decreased to a greater or lesser extent when the UV lamp output was above a certain level (see Examples 4, 5, and 7-10).

[0047] In the cases where a UV lamp output of 5.5kW or more was used during a single coating, as in Examples 12-15 and 17-20, although the number of bubbles in the UV varnish coating layer was significantly reduced and the surface condition improved, as well as the glossiness of the trading cards, the adhesive strength was greatly reduced, and the UV varnish coating layer was not only completely peeled off (see Examples 12-15, 17-20, Figure 3), but the strength was also similarly reduced, and the coating layer was partially destroyed by a pencil (see Examples 12-15, Figure 4(a)), or even completely destroyed (see Examples 17-20, Figure 4(b)).

[0048] As is clear from the above examples, during a single UV varnish coating and curing, the trading card and the UV varnish coating layer can have good adhesion and strength, but a large number of air bubbles are generated in the UV varnish, resulting in an unsatisfactory surface condition.

[0049] However, when the UV varnish was applied twice and cured, the glossiness of the trading cards increased, and the number of air bubbles in the UV varnish coating was significantly reduced, resulting in an improved surface condition. However, it can be confirmed that the adhesion and strength of the UV varnish coating layer depend heavily on the output of the UV lamp used to cure the UV varnish.

[0050] In other words, when the UV lamp output is 2-3kW during the first curing cycle and 2-5kW during the second curing cycle, it can be seen that a UV varnish coating layer is formed that has good adhesion and strength while reducing air bubbles, improving the surface condition, and increasing gloss.

[0051] This is because, when UV varnish is applied in layers, the UV varnish coating formed during the first curing is further coated, causing the hologram pattern formed during the first curing to disappear and doubling the thickness of the UV varnish coating layer. While this improves the surface gloss, if the UV lamp output is above a certain level, the UV varnish applied in the first coat hardens excessively, reducing the strength of the UV varnish coating layer and weakening the adhesion between the trading card and the UV varnish interface.

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

[0053] Therefore, the method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention provides trading cards that have outstanding gloss while also having a clean surface condition free of air bubbles, making it possible to enhance the quality of trading cards.

[0054] The following describes other embodiments of the method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties according to the present invention.

[0055] The UV varnish used in this 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, UV varnish is printed and applied over the entire surface of the trading card, thereby forming the hologram pattern designed on the UV cast film over the entire surface of the trading card.

[0057] If it is necessary to apply a hologram design to only a portion of the trading card, a flexo plate (resin plate) with recesses and protrusions formed therein is attached to the flat plate and used. Only the UV varnish transferred to the protrusions of the flexo plate is transferred to the trading card, making it possible to engrave the hologram pattern on only a portion of the trading card.

[0058] As mentioned above, when a hologram pattern is applied to only a portion of a trading card, the contrast effect between 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) provides the advantage of creating various design effects depending on the characters, background, etc., printed on the trading card. In particular, as mentioned above, when two coats of UV varnish are applied and cured, the glossiness increases, further enhancing the hologram effect.

[0059] The protrusions of the flexographic plate are preferably 99-99.5% of the size of the hologram design shape to be printed on the trading card (for example, portion B in Figure 5), more preferably 99.1-99.3%. This takes into account 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, so 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 protrusions of the flexographic plate exceed the range, a hologram pattern larger than the desired shape is formed, and if it is less than the range, a hologram pattern smaller than the desired shape is formed, so that the boundary between the printed content and the hologram pattern on the trading card does not precisely match, resulting in a poor appearance of the trading card.

[0060] The UV varnish used in the present invention can be supplied while being maintained at a constant temperature. Specifically, the temperature of the UV varnish held in the tray is preferably 40 to 50°C. This constant temperature supply 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 using a flexographic plate to coat only a portion of the UV varnish, it is possible to print in such a way that 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) are clearly distinguishable.

[0061] The UV cast film used in this invention can have static electricity removed by an ionizer or other static elimination device before being attached to a trading card on which UV varnish has been printed or coated. Removing static electricity improves adhesion to the trading card, allowing the hologram design to be vividly imprinted on the UV varnish. The ionizer or other static elimination device can be applied to both sides of the UV cast film, but for the sake of simplifying the process, it may be applied to only one side of the UV cast film that will be attached to the trading card.

[0062] Furthermore, it is preferable that the UV cast film used in the present invention has any foreign matter such as dust adhering to its surface removed by an air cleaner before it is attached to a trading card on which UV varnish has been printed or coated. The air cleaner can be applied after static electricity has been removed by static elimination equipment such as an ionizer to effectively remove foreign matter such as dust.

Claims

1. A first step is to supply trading cards on which a UV varnish coating layer has been formed, A second step involves printing and applying UV varnish to the top of the UV varnish coating layer, A third step involves attaching a UV cast film to the top of a trading card coated with UV varnish, The fourth step involves curing the UV varnish using a UV lamp, The fifth step is to peel off the UV cast film, Includes, The trading card on which the aforementioned UV varnish coating layer is formed is Step 1-1 of supplying trading cards, Step 2-1 involves printing and applying UV varnish to the top of the trading card, Step 3-1 involves attaching a UV cast film to the top of a trading card coated with UV varnish, Step 4-1 involves curing the UV varnish using a UV lamp, Step 5-1 involves peeling off the UV cast film, A method for manufacturing trading cards with improved surface properties, characterized by being manufactured by a method including [a specific component].

2. A method for manufacturing a trading card with improved surface properties according to claim 1, characterized in that 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.

3. A method for manufacturing a trading card with improved surface properties according to claim 1, wherein the second step of printing and applying UV varnish to the upper part of the UV varnish coating layer and the second-first step of printing and applying UV varnish to the upper part of the trading card further include a step of supplying UV varnish, the UV varnish being supplied at a temperature of 40 to 50°C.

4. A method for manufacturing a trading card with improved surface properties according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the third step of attaching a UV cast film to the top of the trading card coated with the UV varnish, and in step 3-1, the UV cast film is subjected to static electricity removal by static elimination equipment and its surface is cleaned by an air cleaner before being attached to the top of the trading card.

5. A method for manufacturing a trading card with improved surface properties according to claim 1, wherein the second step of printing and applying UV varnish to the upper part of the UV varnish coating layer and the second-first step of printing and applying UV varnish to the upper part of the trading card include printing and applying UV varnish to a portion of the trading card using a flexographic plate having recesses and protrusions, wherein the protrusions are 99 to 99.5% of the size corresponding to a portion of the trading card.

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