GB2325648A - A painting book having paper sheets with a printed colour palette - Google Patents

Abstract

The sheets comprise a printed colour palette associated with a line drawing. The circular printed colour areas of the palette may comprise a background colour overprinted with a different colour as a dot pattern, which colours mix on wetting.

Description

A PAPER ARTICLE The present invention relates to a paper article.

The printing industry has for many years produced colouring books or sheets.

The products generally include black and white line drawings which may be filled in by a child using paints, crayons etc.

One development in this area is detailed in UK patent specification no.

1553226 which describes the production of a cardboard article h,lvillg printed thereon seven discrete areas of dried, water-based paints of different colour.

The areas are in the shape of an artist's palette. The child nlay use a insist paint brush to take colours from the palette and apply theni to an outlined drawing on a separate sheet of paper or cardboard.

Unfortunately, the application of the aqueous printing fluids to the cardboard substrate causes the aqueous fluid to soak into the cardboard causing damage and distortion to the substrate. Furthermore, the use of aqueous printing fluids requires a drying step.

It is an object of the present invention to ovcrconle these problciiis and others which will become apparent hereaftcr.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a paper article comprising at least one area having a line drawing for the application of coloured paint thereto and at least one further area of printed paint.

Advantageously, the application or use of printed paint on a paper article allows a number of articles to be placed together in the forni of a booklet which would not be possible if a thick article sucll as cardboard was uscd as the substrate.

Preferably, the printed paint comprises at least one pigment. Preferably, the pigment is applied to the paper using a non-aqueous vehicle. Advantageously, tlic use of a non-aqueous vehicle allows paint to be applied to the paper without causing warping or damage to the paper which would result if an aqueous vehicle was used. Preferably, the printed paint coiiiposilion iiicludes a coloured ink to colour the appearance of the printed paint and to provide the appropriate non-aqueous vehicle for the pigment.

Preferably, the coloured ink compliments the appearance of tlie piglilent in the printed area. Generally, the ink is a deeper shade of tlie same colour as the pigment and, thus, provides the user with a more attractive article.

Preferably, the pigment is water soluble so that the application of a wet brush or other wet painting implement to the printed paint liberates the pigment which can then be applied via the painting implement to the line drawing.

Preferably, several areas of coloured paint are provided, typically in the form of a palette. The palette may comprise several colours of printed paint.

The coloured inks and pigment may be any colour of the sl,ectfllill aiid are, preferably, not black.

Preferably, the pigment undergoes at least two, preferably, three grinding steps prior to being suspended in the coloured ink carrier. Advantageously the additional grinding steps effected on the pigillent permit a greater concentration of pigment to be suspended in the coloured ink to thereby provide sufficient colouring in the printed area to cover the unpainted areas in the line drawings.

According to a second aspect or the present invention is provided a paper article comprising at least one blank area for the application of coloured paint thereto and at least one further area of printed paint.

Preferably, in relation to the second aspect of the present inventioii a line drawing may be applied by the user during use of the product. Alternatively, the user may create a painting without the use of a line drawing.

Any one or more of the preferred features of the first aspect of the present invention may be incorporated into the second aspect.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a process of producing a printed paper article in accordallcc witch lic first asl)ect of the invention comprising the steps of:printing a line drawing onto at least one area of a sheet of paper; and printing paint onto at least one further area of the said sheet of paper.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a process of producing a printed paper article in accordance with the second aspect of the invention comprising of:printing paint onto at least one area of the said sheet of paper in such a manner that at least one further area is left blank.

I)rcfcrcLl)ly, in accordance wills either the third or fourth aspect of the invention several further areas of the sciid sheet of paper are painted with paint. Furthermore, the paint may be printed in tlie form ol a palette aiid different colours of paint may be printed onto the said further areas.

Typically, the process in accordance with the third or fourth aspect of tlie invention incorporates a pigment pre grinding step. Preferably. the pigment is ground at least twice and, more preferably, at least three times. Preferably the process in accordance with the third or fourth aspect of the present invention incorporates a step of mixing the ground pigment with a coloured ink comprising a non-aqueous vehicle.

In accordance with the fifth aspect of (lie present inventioii (here is provided a printed substrate comprising at least one discrete area of printed pailit wherein the area of printed paint comprises at least two coloured areas each corresponding to a different colour of paint.

Preferably, the colours are spectrum colours ie. shades of red. orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

Preferably, the article has at least one area containing a line drawing.

Advantageously, the two or more colours of paint can be fonned into a pattern to present an appealing appearance.

For instance, one colour of paint may form a background colour and another may found a pattern such as a dot or lined pattern on the surface of the background colour. The printed substrate may incorporate any one or more of the features defined in respect of the first, second, third or fourth aspect of the present invcnlioii.

A further advantage of the fifth aspect of the inventioli is th.lt the user can obtain a mix of two colours by applying a wet painting implement to the area of printed paint. In this manner, by using three or four prinlary colours such as red, yellow or blue, secondary colours can be produced by the user. For example, a red pattern on a yellow background will produce the colour orange. Alternatively, a blue pattern on a yellow background will produce the colour green whereas a blue patty .)n a red background will produce the colour purple. Similarly, a mixed pattern of red and yellow dots or red and yellow lines on a blank background will also produce the colour orange. In this manner, it is possible to use fewer colours during the printing step which iinproves the efficicncy of the printing step and reduces (lie iitiiiit)er ot tiiiics it is necessary to stop production in order to clean the various coiiiponents of the printing machine.

It is envisaged that more than two colours can be mixed in a single printed area to produce the required shades of final colour required.

In accordance with a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a process of producing a printed substrate in accordance with the fifth aspect of the present invention comprising the steps of:- depositing a first colour of printed paint onto the substrate in a discrete area; and depositing a second colour of printed paint onto the substrate in the same discrete area.

The sixth aspect of the present invention may incorporate any one or more features defined in respect of the first to fifth aspect of the inventioli.

Although the various aspects of the invention produce considerable advantages in relation to printed palettes, other applications for the invention are envisaged. For instance, the mixed pattern of colours could be applied directly to the areas of the line drawing to be coloured and the user may then apply a wet brush to the coloured pattern to produce a combination colour in the area to which the pattern has been applied.

Preferably, in accordance with any aspect of the present invention the pigment is a water based pigment. Typically, the composition of the printing paint comprises between 25% and 75% of the water based pigment w/w%, more preferably 40% - 60% w/w% and, most preferably 45% - 55% wlw%. . In each case the balance may be made Up of coloured ink with its owii vehicle or may also include an additional vehicle known to the skillcd person.

The present invention has numerous applications. In particular, because the integrity and quality of the paper is not damaged by the application of the printing paint, booklets of line drawings on sheets wliich include a self contained palette may be put together. Alternatively, the product can be sold as single sheets each with its own palette. More complexed line drawings can be produced for the older child and the adult and applications will include painting by numbers. The invention also provides a convenient and disposable sotlrcc of a multi-coloured paletle slltd sheet which can be used in education at various levels and for personal recreatioli.

It is occasionally preferred to print on both sides of the paper and, in these, cases, it is preferred that the cobb rating of the paper is between 10-18. more preferably, 12-16 and, most preferably, approximately 14.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which figures l(a) - (g) show several line drawings each with its accompanying palette of six colours located in a rectangularly outlined box above the line drawing. Each of the line drawings can be cut into a separate sheet for placement in a book of drawings. Each palette 2 comprises six different colours 4 iii the forni of an aligned equally spaced series of circular areas 4 (a) - ( ). Taking drawing 2 (c) as an example, coloured areas 4 (a), (c) and (c) each comprise a background colour with a second colour in the form of a dot grid printed thereover. The coloured area 4 (a) comprises a red background and a deep blue matrix of dots, 4 (b) comprises a single blue background, 4 (c) comprises a yellow background with green dots, 4 (d) comprises a yellow background. 4 (e) comprises a yellow background with red dots and 4 (f) coniprises a red background. Referring to examples 2 (a) and 2 (b) the palette colours reading from left to right are as follows: Purple, blue, green, yellow, red and red.

Referring to figures 2 (a) and (g), the leftmost printed area comprises a white background with a matrix of blue and red dots formed into a pattern on the surface. The pattern is attractive to the cyc but will also produce the colour purple once a wet brush is applied to il. Tlic relilaining colours iii figure 2 (g) reading from left to right are as follows: Blue, green and yellow dot matrix on white background. yellow. red and yellow dots on white background and red.

Figures 2 (d) and 2 (e) from the left comprise the colours as follows: Blue dots on blue background, blue background, blue dots on green background, yellow background, red background and red background.

The colours are applied to the circular areas using priiitilig iiik tecliiiology which will be known to the skilled addressee. The dot pattern is applied using a screen, after application of the background colour, if appropriate. As the printing ink technology used to print the painted areas is utilised for the printing of black ink, it is gencrally necessary to clean the apparatus more frequently to avoid the use of various colours causing the printing iiiacliine and product to become fouled.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claiins, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined ill any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accoilopanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or siiioilar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s).

Tlie invention extends lo any novel onc, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims (34)

1. A paper article comprising at least one area having a line drawing for the application of coloured paint thereto and at least one further area of printed paint.

2 A paper article according to claim 1, wherein the printed paint comprises at least one pigment.

3. A paper article according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pigment is applied to the paper using a non-aqueous vehicle.

4. A paper article according to any preceding claim, wherein the printed paint composition includes a coloured ink to colour the appearance of the printed paint.

5. A paper article according any preceding claim, wherein a coloured ink provides the appropriate non-aqueous vehicle for the pigment.

6. A paper article according to any of claims 2-5, wherein a coloured ink compliments the appearance of the pigment in the printed area.

7. A paper article according to claim 6, wherein the ink is a deeper shade of the same colour as the pigment.

8. A paper article as claimed in any of claims 2-7, wherein the pigment is water soluble so that the application of a wet brush or other wet painting implement to the printed paint liberates the pigment which can then be applied via the painting implement to the line drawing.

9. A paper article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein several areas of printed paint are provided.

10. A paper article according to any preceding claim, wherein the area of printed paint is in the form of a palette.

11. A paper article according to claim 10, wherein the palette comprises several colours of printed paint.

12. A paper article according to any of claims 2-11, wherein the pigment has undergone at least two grinding steps prior to being suspended in the coloured ink carrier.

13. A paper article comprising at least one blank area for the application of coloured paint thereto and at least one further area of printed paint.

14. A process of producing a printed paper article in accordance with any of claims 1-13 comprising the steps of: printing a line drawing onto at least one area of a sheet of paper; and printing paint onto at least one further area of the said sheet of paper.

15. A process of producing a printed paper article in accordance with claim 13 comprising: printing paint onto at least one area of the said sheet of paper in such a manner that at least one further area is left blank.

16. A process of producing a printed paper article according to claim 14 or 15, wherein several further areas of the said sheet of paper are printed with paint.

17. A process of producing a printed paper article according to any of claims 14-16, wherein the paint is printed in the form of a palette and different colours of paint may be printed onto the said palette area.

18. A process in accordance with any of claims 14-17, which incorporates a pigment pre grinding step.

19. A process in accordance with claim 18, wherein the pigment is ground at least twice.

20. A process in accordance with any of claims 14-19 which incorporates a step of mixing the ground pigment with a coloured ink comprising a non-aqueous vehicle.

21. A printed substrate comprising at least one discrete area of printed paint wherein the area of printed paint comprises at least two coloured areas each corresponding to a different colour of paint.

22. A printed substrate according to claim 21, wherein the substrate has at least one area containing a line drawing.

23. A printed substrate according to claim 21 or 22, wherein the two or more colours of paint can be formed into a pattern to present an appealing appearance.

24. A printed substrate incorporating any of the features of claims 1-20.

25. A paper article incorporating any of the features of claims 21-23.

26. A printed substrate according to any of claims 21-24 or a paper article according to any of claims 1-20 or 25, wherein more than two colours are mixed in a single printed paint area to produce the required shade of final colour required.

27. A process of producing a printed substrate in accordance with any of claims 21-24 or 26 comprising the steps of: depositing a first colour of printed paint onto the substrate in a discrete area; and depositing a second colour of printed paint onto the substrate in the same discrete area.

28. A paper article or printed substrate or methods of production thereof according to any preceding claim, wherein the pigment is a water based pigment.

29. A paper article or printed substrate or method of production thereof according to claim 28, wherein the composition of the printing paint comprises between 25 % and 75 % of the water based pigment w/w %.

30. A paper article or printed substrate or methods of production thereof according to claim 29, wherein the balance may be made up of coloured ink with its own vehicle or any additional vehicle known to the skilled person.

31. A paper article as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

32. A printed substrate as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

33. A process for producing a paper article as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.

34. A process for producing a printed substrate as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.