JP2007196605A - Laser printing method and printing material - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laser printing method capable of performing efficient and quick printing by using laser beam and capable of performing vivid and durable printing, and to provide a printing material. <P>SOLUTION: A color developing layer 14 which is formed on the surface of a sheet-like substrate 12 and develops color by laser beam 22 is provided. A protective layer 18 is formed on the surface of the color developing layer 14. Printing is performed in a manner that the laser beam 22 removes or permeates through the protective layer 18, and a desired part of the color developing layer 14 is irradiated with the laser beam 22 so as to develop the color. The protective layer 18 is white or pale color and is removed by irradiation of the laser beam 22. An adhesive layer 26 is formed on the back surface of the substrate 12, and the adhesive layer 26 is formed on the surface of the protective layer 18 so that it can be peeled off. An adhesive layer 14 of the other substrate 12 is laminated to wind around the surface of the protective film 24. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a label which is attached to or pasted on a product or its packaging box and performs a predetermined display, a printing method for printing on the surface of a packaging material such as a packaging box or a stored item, and a printed matter. .

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a printed label that is attached to a product or its packaging box and performs a predetermined display, and a management label is printed and attached to the product for each product or lot. This label printing includes printing on thermal paper using a printer having a thermal head and printing using an inkjet printer. These printing labels are easier to print and relatively cheaper than printing on a printing press, so you can print management information for each product and use it for finer product management. Has been.

  In recent years, a method of printing on a label using a laser printer is also widely used. In this printing method using a laser printer, an ink layer that is removed by being removed by laser light is printed on the label surface, and desired information is subsequently written by laser light. Accordingly, the characters and the like written here generally appear as a negative image. On the other hand, there are some which write information by scanning a laser beam so as to leave a character or the like as a positive image. In this case, however, the scanning time of the laser beam becomes long and the efficiency is low.

In addition, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, printing is performed on the entire surface of a predetermined label area using laser marking ink that develops color by reacting with laser light, and then writing predetermined information with laser light. Methods and printed materials have also been proposed.
JP-T-2004-522631 JP-T-2004-524188

  The thermal label using the above-mentioned conventional thermal paper is one that is not suitable for long-term product management because the color of the thermal paper turns yellow over time and characters become difficult to read. In addition, since a printer equipped with a thermal head prints with the thermal paper in contact with the head, printing time is required, maintenance such as head cleaning is frequently required, and management of the printer is troublesome.

  Also, when printing with an ink jet printer, the printing time is long, the head of the ink jet printer may be clogged, and the maintenance of the printer is troublesome.

  On the other hand, the method of printing using laser light is shorter in printing time than thermal printers and ink jet printers, and does not require frequent maintenance. However, when ink is removed by laser light, the evaporated ink is used. Odors and odors that burn the paper surface occurred, and the printer needed a deodorizer / dust collector. Further, the ink cross-section, which is the outer edge portion of the remaining ink, is exposed to the outside due to the ink being blown off, and the ink on the cross-section portion may be peeled off due to friction or the like, and the printed surface may become dirty.

  On the other hand, when ink that is colored by laser light is used, the ink is not blown off, so there is no problem of odor and the like, but clear color development is not obtained, the contrast of printed information is low, for example, barcode information There were cases where it interfered with reading. Furthermore, there is a problem in durability and light resistance of the developed image, and it is not suitable for long-term management.

  Furthermore, it is necessary to print an expiration date, a shelf life, a lot number, etc. on packaging boxes for medicines, foods, cosmetics and the like. These are printed on the surface of the packaging box by a pharmaceutical manufacturer, a food manufacturer, and a cosmetic manufacturer by a stamping method, inkjet printing, laser printing, or the like.

  On the other hand, paper container printing manufacturers that manufacture these packaging boxes perform printing processing and surface processing other than the expiration date, expiration date, and lot number on the box that is the paper container, but the surface processing surface on the product manufacturer side Since marking, ink-jet printing, etc. on the stamped part are inferior in physical properties such as friction resistance than printing directly on the paper surface, in general, the surface processing of a part of the packaging box that becomes the stamped part on the product manufacturer side is This is not done by the printing manufacturer. Therefore, the printing processing manufacturer prepares a printing plate having a portion where the surface processing is not performed on the packaging box for each product and performs printing processing or the like.

  Moreover, because the printing position of the packaging box, the expiration date of the product, the expiration date, the lot number, etc. differ depending on the product, create a surface finish plate suitable for each product and manage them. The cost of creating and managing this version was significant.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the prior art, and is cost-effective, can perform efficient and rapid printing using a laser beam, and provides clear and durable printing. An object is to provide a possible laser printing method and printed matter.

  The present invention has a color forming layer that is formed on the surface of a sheet-like base material and develops color by laser light, a protective layer is formed on the surface of the color developing layer, and the laser light removes or transmits the protective layer, This is a printing method in which printing is performed by irradiating the laser beam to a desired portion of the color development layer to cause color development.

  The present invention also has a color forming layer formed on the surface of a transparent sheet-like base material and colored by laser light, a coating layer is formed on the surface of the color forming layer, and the laser light is transmitted through the base material. In this printing method, printing is performed by coloring a desired portion of the coloring layer.

  The present invention also includes a sheet-like base material, a color forming layer formed on the surface of the base material and colored by laser light, and a protective layer covering the surface of the color developing layer, and the laser light removes the protective layer. Alternatively, it is a printed matter formed by coloring a portion of the coloring layer that is transmitted and irradiated with the laser beam.

  The protective layer is white or light in color and is removed by laser light irradiation. Furthermore, an adhesive layer is formed on the back surface of the base material, the protective layer surface is formed so that the adhesive layer can be peeled off, and an adhesive layer of the other base material is formed on the protective layer surface so that the adhesive layer can be laminated, It may be formed by winding. Moreover, the said base material may form the packaging box which accommodates goods.

  Further, the present invention includes a transparent sheet-like base material and a color forming layer formed on the surface of the base material and colored by laser light, the laser light is transmitted through the base material, This is a printed material in which a portion irradiated with laser light is colored.

  An adhesive layer may be formed on the substrate on the color-developing layer side so that a release layer is formed on the surface of the substrate, and an adhesive layer of the other substrate is laminated on the surface of the release layer. It may be wound.

  Further, the base material forms a packaging box that accommodates a product, and the coloring layer may be positioned inside the packaging box.

  Furthermore, the coloring layer is formed by offset printing, letterpress printing, flexographic printing, or silk screen printing.

  The printing method and printed matter of the present invention can perform efficient and rapid printing, and can perform clear and durable printing using a laser beam. In addition, maintenance of the printing apparatus is easy, and individual printing can be performed at high speed. In addition, products such as pharmaceuticals and foods can be managed accurately and individually, and can be widely used for inventory and distribution management of products.

  In addition, the printing method and the printed matter of the present invention allow laser light to be removed or transmitted through the surface processing material as a protective layer to perform positive printing, and the surface processing plate may be a uniform plate on the entire surface, It is not necessary to create and manage the plate suitable for the product, and it is possible to greatly reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of the packaging box.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention. A printed matter 10 of this embodiment is formed on a base material 12 which is a label body formed in a sheet shape such as paper, synthetic paper, synthetic resin sheet or the like. The coloring layer 14 that develops color by laser light is printed on the front surface. In the coloring layer 14, a desired printing portion 16 is formed by laser light 22 as will be described later. As the printing unit 16, as shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to arbitrarily select characters, code information of a monochrome pattern, and the like. A protective layer 18 made of white ink or the like is printed on the front surface of the coloring layer 14. White ink is mainly composed of a pigment made of titanium oxide, and is a material with high light resistance and durability. The protective layer 18 only needs to be thick enough to hide the discoloration with time of the colored layer 14 that is not colored.

  Here, the coloring layer 14 may be a commercially available material or a known material. For example, the coloring layer 14 may be a material that reacts with ultraviolet rays or infrared rays and causes a color change. Any device that absorbs laser energy and is accompanied by chemical or physical changes may be used. For example, in the case of a material containing a dehydrating agent such as p-toluenesulfonic acid in polyvinyl alcohol, the color changes due to the addition of energy. Furthermore, as another example, a caramelizable carbohydrate or a combination of ethyl cellulose and calcium hydroxide may be used.

  In addition, the ink composition used for the coloring layer 14 may include a solvent, a binder, and an oxyanion of a polyvalent metal. In the compound containing an oxyanion, the cation (cation) can be ammonium, an alkali metal, or an alkaline earth metal, and the oxyanion can be a molybdate compound, a tungstate compound, or a similar transition metal compound. can do. The compounds include dimolybdate and heptamolybdate, and more preferably ammonium octamolybdate (hereinafter referred to as AOM). For example, AOM or the like absorbs light energy having a wavelength of 1064 nm or less or 10600 nm or less to cause a color change. The composition of the ink used here can be water-based, solvent-based, ultraviolet curable, and can be a solution or a dispersion. The amount of AOM in the ink is usually 1 to 90% by mass. A polymer is used for the binder and can be selected from polymers such as acrylic, cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), and polyester. The binder preferably includes an active group such as a hydroxyl group, an acetoxy group, an acetal ether, or a halogen, and has a function of generating a color that causes a elimination reaction.

  In the printing method of the printed matter 10 of this embodiment, when the protective layer 18 on the surface of the sheet-like substrate 12 is irradiated with the laser beam 22 from the laser device 20, the protective layer 18 is first evaporated or scattered by the energy of the laser beam 22. To do. As a result, the laser beam 22 reaches the coloring layer 14 and only the irradiated portion is colored, and the character and code information are written to form the printing unit 16. Thereby, arbitrary information can be described by the laser beam 22 on a label, a packaging material, or the like.

  According to the printing method and the printed matter of this embodiment, the protective layer 18 is removed with the laser beam 22 and the coloring layer 14 is colored with the laser beam 22, so that the coloring portion of the printing unit 16 is clear and the other This portion does not change over time due to the protective layer 18, and the printing portion 16 and its periphery do not fade, and light-resistant and durable printing can be performed at high speed. Moreover, maintenance of the printer is easy. In addition, fine graphics and complicated graphics can be easily printed, and a large amount of information can be described. Furthermore, it is possible to accurately manage products of a variety of lots or products that require individual management for a long period of time.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the same members as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. The printed matter 25 of this embodiment is a film in which the protective layer 24 is transparent. An adhesive layer 26 is formed on the back side of the substrate 12. The protective layer 24 is preferably made of a material that can prevent the color-developing layer 14 from fading, and is preferably an ultraviolet absorber or a material that hardly transmits light that causes the color-developing layer 14 to change its color.

  The printed matter 25 of this embodiment has an adhesive layer 26, and is supplied as a roll in which the adhesive layer 26 is laminated on the release paper or the adhesive layer 26 is stacked on the protective layer 24 and is wound as a tack label (not shown). Is done.

  According to the printed matter 25 of this embodiment, there is little odor and gas scattering from the coloring layer 14 and the protective layer 24 at the time of laser printing, and the printing part 16 can be clearly formed, and has light resistance and durability. be able to. Further, by superposing the adhesive layer 26 on the protective layer 24, it can be supplied as an adhesive tape-like roll, can be provided at low cost, and since no release paper is used, the generation of waste can also be suppressed. .

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the same members as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. In the printed matter 28 of this embodiment, the surface of the protective layer 18 is subjected to a release treatment with a silicon paint or the like, and the release layer 30 is formed. Thereby, the adhesive layer 26 is overlaid on the protective layer 18 and can be supplied as a rolled roll.

  According to the printed matter 28 of this embodiment, the protective layer 18 can form a printed matter having a high contrast and a clear printed portion 16, and can also have light resistance and durability. Moreover, by overlapping the adhesive layer 26 on the release layer 30, it can be supplied as an adhesive tape-like roll, can be provided at low cost, and generation of waste can be suppressed by eliminating the release paper. .

  Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the same members as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. In the printed matter 32 of this embodiment, the base material 34 is made of a transparent plastic sheet. As a material of the base material 34, PET, PP, or the like can be used. The coloring layer 14 is printed on the back side of the substrate 34. On the outside of the color forming layer 14, a printing layer 36 such as various patterns and coatings is formed.

  The printed matter 32 of this embodiment forms a packaging box that accommodates merchandise, and the coloring layer 14 is located inside the box with the packaging box formed.

  According to the printed matter 32 of this embodiment, in addition to the same effects as those of the above embodiment, the printing unit 16 is applied to the coloring layer 14 by the laser beam 22 directly on the packaging box made of the transparent sheet-like base material 34. It can be formed, making individual management of packaging boxes and products easier.

  Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the same members as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. In the printed matter 38 of this embodiment, the base material 34 is made of a transparent plastic sheet. As a material of the base material 34, PET, PP, or the like can be used. The coloring layer 14 is printed on the back side of the substrate 34, and the adhesive layer 26 is formed outside the coloring layer 14. Further, the outer surface of the base material 34 is subjected to a peeling treatment with a silicon paint or the like, and a peeling layer 30 is formed. Thereby, peeling from the base material 34 becomes easier, and the adhesive layer 26 is stacked on the base material 34 side of the printed matter 38 and can be supplied as a rolled roll or the like.

  According to the printed matter 38 of this embodiment, in addition to the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment, an adhesive label or the like made of a transparent sheet-like base material 34 can be provided as a roll-like printed matter.

  The printed matter and the printing method label of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiment, and the protective layer may be replaced with a protective layer having a light color other than white. For example, an appropriate color can be selected as long as the contrast with the color-developing portion can be obtained with a thickness that can be evaporated by laser light, such as light cream, pink, and light blue. An appropriate printing method such as offset printing, letterpress printing, flexographic printing, or silk screen printing can be selected for the coloring layer.

  The protective layer may be printed or coated with a transparent ink such as a transparent varnish and replaced with a transparent protective layer, or may have a thickness capable of maintaining chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, and other resistance. Further, a plurality of these protective layers may be laminated. Thereby, it can be set as the printed matter which has various tolerance, such as light resistance, chemical resistance, and abrasion resistance. Further, the coloring layer is used only at a predetermined position on the surface of the base material, for example, only at a portion where printing is required, so that an expensive coloring material can be used efficiently.

  Furthermore, the printed matter of the present invention can be used for various materials such as paper boxes, paper labels, resin products such as resin boxes and resin labels, and other paper-resin laminate sheets. Furthermore, as a packaging material, a metal can, a resin container, a glass container, a resin film packaging (various bags and shrink packaging), a paper bag, a manual, and the like can be selected.

It is the schematic which shows the printing method of 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the printed matter of this embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the printing method of 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the printed matter of 3rd embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the printed matter of 4th embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the printed matter of 5th embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Printed material 12 Base material 14 Coloring layer 16 Printing part 18 Protective layer 20 Laser apparatus 22 Laser beam

Claims (10)

  A coloring layer formed on the surface of the sheet-like base material that develops color by laser light; a protective layer is formed on the surface of the coloring layer; the laser light removes or transmits the protective layer; A printing method, wherein printing is performed by irradiating a portion with the laser beam to cause color development.   A coloring layer that is formed on the surface of a transparent sheet-like substrate and develops color by laser light, a coating layer is formed on the surface of the coloring layer, and the laser beam is transmitted through the substrate so that the desired coloring layer is formed. A printing method, wherein printing is performed by coloring a portion.   A sheet-like base material, a color-forming layer formed on the surface of the base material and colored by laser light, and a protective layer covering the surface of the color-forming layer, wherein the laser light removes or transmits the protective layer, A printed matter, wherein a portion irradiated with the laser light in the coloring layer is colored.   The printed matter according to claim 3, wherein the protective layer is white or light in color and is removed by laser light irradiation.   The adhesive layer is formed on the back surface of the base material, the protective layer surface is formed so that the adhesive layer can be peeled off, and the adhesive layer of the other base material is formed on the protective layer surface so as to be laminated. 4. Printed matter according to item 4.   The printed matter according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the base material forms a packaging box for accommodating a product.   A transparent sheet-like base material and a color forming layer formed on the surface of the base material that develops color by laser light, wherein the laser light is transmitted through the base material and irradiated with the laser light in the color developing layer. Printed matter characterized in that the portion is colored.   The printed matter according to claim 7, wherein an adhesive layer is formed on the color forming layer side of the base material.   The printed material according to claim 7, wherein the base material forms a packaging box that accommodates a product, and the coloring layer is positioned inside the packaging box. The printed matter according to claim 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9, wherein the coloring layer is formed by offset printing, letterpress printing, flexographic printing, or silk screen printing.

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