GB2152005A - Self-adhesive prints or labels - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of producing self-adhesive prints comprises photographically printing onto an elongate band (1) of pre-sensitised print medium a plurality of images (12) extending along the band, applying to the back of the photographically printed band (1) a layer of adhesive and a strippable backing sheet (5), and cutting the printed band without cutting the backing sheet, to provide on the backing sheet a plurality of self-adhesive photographic prints which can be peeled off individually from the backing sheet. Printing may be carried out using an enlarger or machine printer fitted with a single lens or a multiple lens array, using a negative which may be produced by multiple exposures via different high contrast film masks. The cutting station (14) may be controlled via a microprocessor (18) from a sensor (16) which detects registration marks on the band (1). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Production of self-adhesive prints or labels This invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing self-adhesive prints or labels particularly, although not exclusively, photographs with self-adhesive backing.

In label and other self-adhesive product making machines, it generally is uneconomical to produce full colour labels in small quantities because of the high cost of preparation of separations, plates and subsequent printing, on four or more colours, with conventional colour-printing and cutting machines.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of producing selfadhesive prints comprising photographically printing onto an elongate band of pre-sensitised print medium a plurality of images extending along the band, applying to the back of the photographically printed band a layer of adhesive and a strippable backing sheet, and cutting the printed band without cutting the backing sheet, to provide on the backing sheet a plurality of self-adhesive photographic prints which can be peeled off individually from the backing sheet.

The term print includes not only a photograph in the sense of a picture but any label, sticker or other printed matter in sheet form which is produced by a photographic printing technique on pre-sensitised medium usually paper. Self-adhesive means that the prints once removed from the backing sheet will, when pressed against another material such as paper, stick without having to wet or otherwise treat the adhesive.

The adhesive may perhaps be applied as a separate step before the backing sheet is applied (for example it is possible that the adhesive could be sprayed on), but conveniently the adhesive is applied together with the backing sheet as a composite backing applied to the printed band in a single step. The adhesive may be discontinuous in rows, strips or covering particular areas in any configuration, but preferably the adhesive is substantially continuous at least over the entire back of each print so that for use each print has an overall adhesive backing.

The printed band may be cut wholly into prints or alternatively into individual prints and surplus band material which may be removed from the backing sheet with adhesive thereon as a step in producing the finished band of ready to use prints.

Where each print is cut wholly or partially around its periphery, the surplus material may be removable as a continuous strip.

Preferably, the photographic printed band and the backing sheet are long continuous bands which are conveniently fed for processing in accordance with the method of the invention, and stored in roll form. Successive registration points or marks may be made during or in association with the printing for subsequent registering of the cutting operation with the printed images; alternatively, and avoiding the need to provide such registration marks or points, the cutter and prints can, subsequently at the cutting stage, simply be aligned visually and manually.

The cutting operation may in some cases be carried out by a reciprocating cutter which cuts a section or successive sections of the print band at each stroke.

Preferably, however, a continuous cutter is used, conveniently a rotary cutter the operation e.g.

speed, of which may be controlled in accordance with a sensor for sensing successive registration points.

Printing of the pre-sensitised medium is conveniently carried out over one section of the band at a time each printing operation producing a plurality of images, or areas to form prints, at a stage. The or each printing stage is preferably carried out from a negative, with or without enlargement at that stage, the negative including a single image, which is multiplied by suitable optical means such as a lens cluster to produce a plurality of similar images from it; or, possibly, the negative including multiple individual images (e.g. in rows and/or columns).

Two or more rows of similar print images may be printed side by side, and subsequently the band may, but need not necessarily, be cut longitudinally to produce several bands of self-adhesive prints.

One or more overlays may be used in the negative production to produce lettering or particular artwork effects or other features in the printed images. Such a technique of producing a composite image on a master negative is an important aspect of the overall method of the invention, and indeed in itself.

Thus, according to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of making a negative for producing photographic coloured prints, comprising exposing a first part of an unexposed negative film or sheet with light whilst masking or otherwise preventing a further part or further parts of the film or sheet from being exposed, then in one or more further exposure steps, exposing the further part or one of the further parts, of the negative film or sheet whilst masking or otherwise preventing the first part (and any further part already exposed) from being further exposed, and then developing the negative so that it is capable of being used to print a composite photograph image.

The successive exposure steps , each time exposing a previously unexposed area, can be repeated many times (e.g. up to thirty times or more) so as to build up a composite image on the master negative.

Any of the individual exposure steps may be carried out with white or plain coloured light, and in either case using a mask overlay with clear areas or a coloured transparency. Combinations of these various possibilities can be utilised to produce white or plain coloured areas (e.g. letters, artwork, logos etc.) or coloured transparency views or picture images with normal colouring (with white light) or special effect pictorial or other image colouring with coloured light.

Hitherto such composite images have been produced only by production of composite or duplicated transparencies by combining different parts from different transparencies and possibly cutting out areas for lettering or artwork. This known procedure, apart from being laborious, gives a loss of original quality whereas the above method according to this aspect of the invention of producing a composite master negative is easier and gives better quality prints. Also, because it is more economical and versatile, it is extremely advantageous when used with the adhesive backing application method referred to above in producing full colour photographic labels with overall adhesive backing, making it possible to reproduce nearly all the effects available from printing (but economic for short runs) and all those from photographic techniques.

Thus, the invention provides a method for producing economic full colour self-adhesive photographic prints (or labels) with or without secondary coloured or white or black lettering, logos and other combinations of images in an infinite variety of finished shapes, complete with overall adhesive backing, supported on a continuous band of quick release paper.

By suitable preparation of the photographic master negatives, as referred to above, all of the separation costs can be reduced to approximately 10% of traditional separation and plate making costs and the labels may be printed quickly several at a time from one negative onto photographic paper to a high quality.

It can be seen that for short runs of full colour printing, this is a very economical method for producing short runs of full colour-printed self-adhesive products up to 1000 or 2000. The resulting image is high in quality, low in cost and many times faster to produce than with traditional methods, having the further advantages that it can be readily changed in size at the enlargement stage.

In a known process for producing photographs which are self-adhesive, multiple images are exposed onto photographic paper using commercially available equipment and one or more bands of self-adhesive finger lift tape are applied to the back of the photographic band prior to cutting so that the resulting prints after being cut each have one or more bands of tape on the reverse.

The product of the method of the invention in its plain form i.e. without secondary image, comprises of an all over adhesive and instead of the prints being separated they are produced and can be sold for use on a supporting and continuous strip of quick release paper.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided apparatus for producing self-adhesive prints comprising a photographic printer (or enlarger) adapted to printone or more images from a negative repeatedly onto a continuous band of sensitised photographic medium, processing means for developing the photograph prints, bonding means adapted to bring together the photographic print band with an adhesive backing and a support backing sheet, and cutting means for cutting the band into prints without cutting the backing sheet.

The invention may be put into practice in a number of ways but certain specific embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a bonding and cutting maching; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cutting part of the machine shown in Figure 1, with control equipment for ensuring registration; and Figure 3 is a detail view illustrating the use of registration marks.

The production of self-adhesive prints in accordance with the invention may be divided into three main stages, as follows: 1) Method of producing composite images onto a photographic colour negative.

2) Production of photographic colour prints.

3) Bonding and lamination, registration and cutting of photographic prints.

1) Preparation of composite-image master negative This part of the invention relates to the production of the master negative, for subsequent use in printing, onto negative working colour photographic paper.

A combination of images is produced on a light sensitive negative colour emulsion by exposing each image at its required size, through a high contrast film mask.

The exposure is made through an aperture of clear film leaving the areas under the dark regions on the mask unexposed. Subsequent exposure of different images can be carried out through one or more other clear apertures in previously unexposed areas. The exposed film is then processed.

When such a negative is printed onto photographic paper, as will be explained, it will produce coloured images corresponding to those exposed onto the negative but combined together on one area of photographic paper.

The originals used to produce the negative are normally transparencies, but in the case of coloured lettering, logos and other artworks, these can be either transparencies or high contrast film negative exposed with an infinitely variable coloured light source to give coloured images that correspond with the original shapes i.e. if green light is chosen, green lettering, logos , or other artwork will result.

In the case where black lettering and other black artwork is required in the finished print, a clear film overlay with the required black lettering and other artwork in the correct regions is made and used during the exposure of the master negative, the black regions resulting in clear areas on the master negative which, in turn, when used for printing produces black areas in the printed image.

Where white lettering or other white artwork is required in the finished print, an appropriate overlay with the required features in black is combined with the colour master negative in the correct position for printing so that when the negative and overlay are exposed to a light source the areas of the print paper under the black regions receive no ex posure and remain white in the finished photographic print.

2) Production of photographic colour prints Using a conventional negative with or without a film overlay as described above, or using a coloured composite image negative as described in 1) above, an exposure is made onto rolls or bands of pre-sensitised photographic paper and at the time of exposure a hole is punched or other registration mark, such as a magnetic mark, is made for subsequent registration at the cutting stage. The position and number of registration marks is arranged according to the size, shape and number of prints.

The exposure will produce, in the case of a single lens equipment, a single (composite) image and in the case of equipment with lens arrays or cluster will produce a number of similar images one for each lens that is in the cluster. The size will vary with the according to the focal length and arrangement of each lens.

The band of paper is transported under the lens and stopped, and printed. The band is then advanced by the appropriate amount for the next printing along the band and the registration mark for the previous printing is made at the same time the next exposure is made. The band of paper thus receives a number of single images along its length or a number of groups of images along its length.

The equipment used to produce those print images in this part of the process are known items of photographic equipment and may comprise any of the following: a) a conventional enlarger fitted with a single lens exposing onto a roller box which marks and transports the paper at each exposure and produces a continuous row of single images; or b) a conventional enlarger fitted with a multiple lens array exposing onto a roller box which makes and transports the paper at each exposure and produces either a continuous row of same size images along the band, one row for each lens, or similar groups of images each group representing one exposure albeit through different size lenses in the array to give different sized images of the same subject, in each group; or c) a conventional machine printer fitted with a single lens to produce a single image repeated along the band ; or d) a conventional machine printer fitted with a conventional lens array to produce a multiplicity of similar images in rows adjacent to each other, or adjacent but not in rows i.e. stepped to each other for maximum economy in the case of odd shapes.

After each exposure the paper is advanced and another exposure is made so that continuous rows of images are formed along the length of the band.

After the latent image is exposed onto the presensitised paper, the latter may be processed as through any commercially available machine which produces the printed band dry in roll form.

3) Bonding, Lamination Registration and Cutting of Prints Normal commercially available laminating and cutting machines as used for label making are not suitable because such equipment prints and cuts in linked operations so that the images are in register with the cutting operations which allows for very high speed production of millions of labels. Such machines could not be used in a way such that short runs of photographic prints could be economically bonded and cut.

What is required for the process in accordance with the present invention is a bonding and cutting machine which can cope with a feed of small lengths, for example of only a few metres long, and then register with those images for carrying out the cutting operation.

As illustrated in Figure 1, in the equipment used for the process of the invention, the roll or band of coloured prints 1 is fed through the bonding machine 3 where it has applied to it an overall backing or support band 5 made up of a release backing coating with adhesive. The backing or support band 5 is supplied from a roll 6.

The band of photographs then travels to and through the cutting machine 9 bonded onto the support band 5. Between the bonding and cutting stations, a protective laminated surface can be applied over the printed face of the band 1, if required.

At this stage any lamination and the adhesive support layer 5 are offset slightly to the photographic paper 1 , as shown in Figure 3, so that there is no interference with optical or magnetic sensing marks 10 on the paper band 1.

Whilst it would be possible to use an up-anddown, reciprocating platen cutter that cuts on the down stroke and can be registered by light beam interference or magnetic mark sensing, such a cutter is not preferred for a multi-purpose machine because of the long platen changing and resetting time ; it might be suitable however for a single size product set for long run operations.

The preferred cutting equipment 9, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is a rotary cutter. The adhesive backed band 1 with the photograph images 12 on it, and complete with supporting release paper 5 (plus if required a protective lamination on the top surface of the photographic band 1) is fed through the rotary cutter which is adapted to adjust the print images 12 so as to register precisely to the cutter, by a combination of differential gears, light beam interference sensing and microprocessor controller. Such a control and cutting arrangement is advantageous in that it is very easy to change the cutter from one design to another (for cutting different size or shaped prints) and the control is simple and readily supervised.

In this way the photographic images can be stopped, or advanced or retarded relative to the rotary cutting head 14 automatically.

To achieve this the operating speed of the cutting machine is to be much reduced compared with conventional machines and adapted so that it can operate from 0-100 ft. per minute and be stopped and started at will.

As the photographic prints 12 approach the rotary cutter 14 a sensing device 16 checks to see if alignment to the cutter 14 is correct. If not, a mes sage is fed from the sensor 16 via a microprocessor 18 and a speed cotroller 19, which then by means of a variable gearing 20 stops or slows down or speeds up either the band 1 or the cutter 14 relative to each other so that true registration is maintained. The band 1 then approaches the cutters on the cutter cylinder 14 with the images in true registration with the cutters. The prints 12 are then cut around their peripheries. The cutting cylinder is a conventional cutter whose blades have been made to coincide with the image or images on the photographic band.

Such a cutting cylinder or one designed especially may be arranged to cut different sizes or shapes on the same band. For example, for the sake of illustration only, the cutting cylinder 14 shown in Figure 2, has two sets of cutters 15 at different axial positions for cutting two rows of prints 12 side by side on the band.

After cutting, the waste material of the photograph band 1 and the adhesive on it, is stripped from the band 1 as a continuous strip 22. If required, the band 1 can then be fed to longitudinal slitting heads (not shown) where blades split the master band into as may rolls as there are rows of images.

At this stage the prints are supported on a (clear) release backing without waste and are rolled up ready for sorting and dispatch.

As an optional feature, provision can be made in the bonding machine for splicing new short lengths of photographs to each other and on to the master support band prior to bonding to the band.

Also, in the case of prints which do not require adhesive backing the photographic band 1 may be supplied to the cutting stage 9 without the bonding stage 3 and then the individual prints are gathered in a roller chain immediately after the cutting section and transported to the end of the machine for sorting.

The method according to this invention is to use the photographic process as an alternative to the traditional four or more colour printing processes which are expensive to set up and economical only for producing in large quantities once set up.

The described method in accordance with the invention provides an inexpensive method of making the master, and so providing a method of produc ing short runs of full colour labels photographs and other sales aids at economical prices.

The method also takes into account the use of normal photographic negatives supplied by the customer used with or without an overlay for conversion into quantities of self-adhesive photo graphs.

The method according to the invention is to use the photographic process to produce labels, photo graphs, leaflets, sales aid and other promotional items in full colour with or without coloured, white or black lettering, logos and other artwork or to produce simple photographs with or without letter ing, with complete overall self-adhesive backing in any preferred shape or size (for example up to 12' x 6' images) supplied on o continuous quick re lease support backing.

The photographic method described provides an economical alternative to normal traditional full colour four or more label printing processes and is especially suitable to short runs of up to 2000 images.

In the photographic industry where the normal requirement is 25 500 prints, the prints are traditionally printed on machine printers with multiple lens arrays for printing multiple images. These have been made self-adhesive by applying one or more bands or strips of finger lift self-adhesive tape to the back of the individual photograph prints prior to cutting, which is laborious and not readily adaptable for producing different sizes, shapes or quantities.

The method of the invention described offers a more versatile and economical method of producing different sizes and shapes with the advantage of having an overall adhesive backing and the further advantage of having a quick release backing which is very much faster to use than finger lift tape on each individual print.

The invention provides for using commercially available traditional photographic printing and processing equipment and traditional label making and cutting equipment but incorporating the new method of producing multiple coloured, white or black lettering and other images onto the negative prior to the printing process or produced during the printing process; and also incorporating improvements and adaptations in the cutting-and-laminating machine so that the photographic images can be registered with the cutters and can be cut economically.

Claims (10)

1. A method of producing self-adhesive prints comprising photographically printing onto an elongate band of pre-sensitised print medium a plurality of images extending along the band, applying to the back of the photographically printed band a layer of adhesive and a strippable backing sheet, and cutting the printed band without cutting the backing sheet, to provide on the backing sheet a plurality of self adhesive photographic prints which can be peeled off individually from the backing sheet.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the adhesive and backing sheet are applied together as a composite to the printed band.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the applied adhesive is substantially continuous over the entire back of each print.

4. A method according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein each print is cut wholly or partially around its periphery and the surplus material is removed as a continuous strip.

5. A method according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein successive registration marks arc made during or in association with the printing of the images for subsequent registering of the cutting operation with the printed images.

6. Apparatus for producing self-adhesive prints comprising a photographic printer (or enlarger) adapted to print one or more images from a negative repeatedly cnto a continuous band of sensitised photographic medium, processing means for developing the photograph prints, bonding means adapted to bring together the photographic print band with an adhesive backing and a support backing sheet, and cutting means for cutting the band into prints without cutting the backing sheet.

7. A method of making a negative for producing photographic coloured prints, comprising exposing a first part of an unexposed negative film or sheet with light whilst masking or otherwise preventing a further part or further parts of the film or sheet from being exposed, then in one or more further exposure steps, exposing the further part or onc of the further parts, of the negative film or sheet whilst masking or otherwise preventing the first part (and any further part already exposed) from being further exposed, and then developing the negative so that it is capable of being used to print a composite photograph image.

8. A method of producing self-adhesive prints, the method being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. Apparatus for producing self-adhesive prints, the apparatus being substantially as hereinbefore described.

10. A method of producing a photographic negative capable of use to print a composite photographic image, the method being substantially as hereinbefore described.