EP1968020A1 - Copy protection for packaging and safety foil - Google Patents

Abstract

The packaging foil has a carrier substrate, which has a copy protection in form of noise and pattern is applied on front and rear side of the packaging or safety foil in register. The carrier substrate has an individualized copy protection in form of an individualized noise and individualized pattern is applied on front and rear side of the packaging or safety foil in register. An independent claim is also included for method for producing the copy protection on the carrier substrate.

Description

The invention relates to copy-protected packaging or security films.

Packaging and security films can usually be forged very easily by simple copying with color copiers or by scanning.

From the WO 03/098540 Digital methods are known by which a copy protection can be achieved. The copy protection consists of a random noise that can be applied by printing on the packaging or security film.

The object of the present invention was to provide an improved copy protection for packaging or security films, which may also allow defined assignments.

The invention therefore relates to packaging, packaging films or security films, characterized in that they have an individualized copy protection in the form of an individualized noise and individualized patterns are applied to the front and back of the packaging or security film in the register.

For example, carrier foils are preferably flexible plastic foils, for example, PI, PP, MOPP, PE, PPS, PEEK, PEK, PEI, PSU, PAEK, LCP, PEN, PBT, PET, PA, PC, COC, POM, ABS, PVC in question. The carrier films preferably have a thickness of 5 to 700 .mu.m, preferably 5 to 200 .mu.m, particularly preferably 5 to 50 .mu.m.

Furthermore, metal foils, for example Al, Cu, Sn, Ni, Fe or stainless steel foils having a thickness of 5-200 μm, preferably 5 to 80 μm, particularly preferably 10 to 50 μm, may serve as carrier substrate. The slides can also be surface-treated, coated or laminated, for example with plastics or painted.

Particular preference is given to using metal foils such as aluminum foils or transparent plastic foils.

The security feature can be realized on the carrier substrate by means of a conventional printing method. If a digital printing method is used, the security element can also be individualized.

However, the security element can also be integrated in pictures, graphics, barcodes, logos, etc. and thus hidden.

Noise is generally understood to mean a disturbance variable with a wide non-specific frequency spectrum.
Noise processes with a constant spectral noise power density in the broader sense are called white noise in analogy to the white light, which includes all spectra (frequencies) of the visible light with the same power (intensity).
Pink Noise refers to noise with a spectral noise power density that is inversely proportional to the frequency (1 / f noise).
Red or brown noise refers to noise processes with a spectral noise power density falling inversely proportional to the square of the frequency (1 / f ² noise).

When used on transparent plastic films, an increase in the security standard is also conceivable, in which the element is printed in registration on the front and back sides. Only both sides together give the desired result. For example, a color separation on the front and a second on the back of the transparent film can be printed.

Since the process is already used in pre-press, the printing process is not affected and the printing process is freely selectable.

The verification can, as well as in WO 03/098540 described, done automatically and automatically by standard readers.

The object of the invention was also to provide a method for producing the security element in digital printing.

  EBV Bearbeitung in einem Desktop Programm z. B. Illustrator oder Artpro
                              ↓
     EPS Daten Erzeugung (Export Funktion des Desktop Programm)
                              ↓
              Import in HP Indigo Digitaldruck Maschine
                              ↓
                      Interner Adobe RIP
                              ↓
                 Erzeugen eines Indigo Druck Jobs
                              ↓
                           Drucken

According to the cited prior art, the security element is produced by the following process steps:

 EBV editing in a desktop program z. Illustrator or Artpro
                              ↓
     EPS data generation (export function of the desktop program)
                              ↓
              Import into HP Indigo digital printing machine
                              ↓
                      Internal Adobe RIP
                              ↓
                 Generating an indigo print job
                              ↓
                           To Print 

There are still shortcomings in the printing of fine lines in an HP Indigo digital press, although here a maximum resolution of 2400 dpi is possible. These fine lines are necessary for the high quality of a security element.

The other today known digital printing systems for packaging and security printing have max. 600 dpi. Resolution.

Print trials have shown that the raster image processor (RIP) built into the HP Indigo digital press enhances it when converting from vector to pixel data.

This reinforcement may be desired in some applications, e.g. The readability of small fonts is improved, however, in the faithful reproduction of security elements of this effect is not desired, since an absolutely faithful 1: 1 reproduction is required.

For example, a test has shown that the HP Indigo digital press, in its usual design, reproduces a minimum line thickness of 50 μm in a very poor quality (chain grid).

This effect restricts the use of the HP Indigo specifically for this security element, since a minimum resolution of 30 μm is required.

In addition, the EPS data format used for processing does not allow many features to be used to create security features such as transparencies, blended modes in partial opaque and transparent states. Spot colors can only be applied in full tone (100%) mode.

  EBV Bearbeitung in einem Desktop Programm z. B. Illustrator oder Artpro
                              ↓
 Print auf Nexus RIP (Erzeugen eines Druckfiles im internen Nexus Format)
                              ↓
           Nexus RIP erzeugt TIFF File pro Farbseparation
                              ↓
 Nexus RIP erzeugt Job Ticket (Konfigurationsfile für Digitaldruckmaschine)
                              ↓
   Nexus RIP kopiert die TIFF Files und Job Ticket in den Indigo internen
                           Hotfolder
                              ↓
                 Erzeugen eines Indigo Druck Jobs
                              1
                           Drucken

In order to avoid the disadvantages mentioned above and to print the security element in digital printing, the following work path has been developed:
(Nexus RIP means: Raster Image Processor of the company Artwork Systems Gent)

 EBV editing in a desktop program z. Illustrator or Artpro
                              ↓
 Print on Nexus RIP (creating a print file in the internal Nexus format)
                              ↓
           Nexus RIP generates TIFF file per color separation
                              ↓
 Nexus RIP generates job ticket (configuration file for digital press)
                              ↓
   Nexus RIP copies the TIFF files and job ticket into the indigo internal
                           hotfolder
                              ↓
                 Generating an indigo print job
                              1
                           To Print 

With this new workflow, a line width of 30 μm can be created on an HP Indigo digital press. In addition, with a visualized assessment, the print result is better executed even with line widths between 50 and 100 μm. The chain-locking effect is compensated.

The security films according to the invention can be used as security elements in data carriers, in particular value documents, such as identity cards, cards, bank notes, as components and decorative elements in architecture and in other technical fields, and as packaging materials in the pharmaceutical or food industry.

Claims (7)

Packaging, packaging films or security films comprising a carrier substrate, characterized in that they have a copy protection in the form of noise and patterns are applied to the front and back of the packaging or security film in the register. Packaging, packaging or security films according to claim 1, characterized in that they have an individualized copy protection in the form of an individualized noise and individualized patterns are applied to the front and back of the packaging or security film in the register. Packaging, packaging films or security films according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the carrier substrate is a metallic or metallized carrier film. Packaging, packaging films or security films according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that on the carrier substrate, a first color application in a light color and a second color application is printed in a dark color. Packaging, packaging films or security films according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the printed ink jobs are applied in the form of a line or dot matrix. Method for producing the copy protection on the carrier substrate, characterized by the following method steps: EBV editing in a desktop program eg Illustrator or Artpro Print on Nexus RIP (creating a print file in the internal Nexus format) Nexus RIP generates TIFF file per color separation Nexus RIP generates job ticket (configuration file for digital press) Nexus RIP copies the TIFF files and job ticket into the Indigo internal hotfolder Generating an indigo print job To Print. Use of the security films according to one of claims 1 to 6 as security elements in data carriers, in particular value documents, such as identity cards, cards, banknotes, as components and decorative elements in architecture and in other technical fields and as packaging materials in the pharmaceutical or food industry.