JPH11216851A - Bar code printing method and printed matter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To print the bar code simply on an object such as transparent glass, plastic or the like, or to-be-printed matter in black or the like by printing bar codes and an image other than the bar code which can be read with a bar code reader. SOLUTION: The bar code printing and a printing in the entire or part of a region to be scanned by a bar code reader, and beside at least in a part other than the bar code, is printed by ink jet. A to-be-printed matter is preferably a transparent or translucent glass or plastic substance or a black or dark- colored substance. However, the plain paper, plastic, metal, wood, ceramic or the like may be used. As the bar code a normal bar code stripe (bar code line) or a code of a form other than a line, e.g. a karla code is acceptable. The ink jet recording device ejects a recording solution from a nozzle to form an image on a recording medium.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a barcode printing method for creating a barcode using at least two colors that can be read by a barcode reader. Furthermore,
The present invention relates to a method for easily printing a barcode on an object such as transparent glass or plastic or an object (printed material) such as black, and a printed matter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a bar code is obtained by printing a bar code printed matter obtained by a method of printing on a white paper or the like with black ink, or a method of adding an infrared absorbing agent to the ink for printing. 2. Description of the Related Art A code scanner determines the contrast between a barcode stripe (barcode line) of black or the like and a barcode stripe (barcode line). Since the printed matter of the barcode needs a contrast that can be read by a barcode scanner, the base color is usually printed on a printing surface (object) having a light color such as white with dark ink such as black. ing.

In the case of an object having a white print surface, a bar code can be printed directly on the object with black ink. For example, in the case of an object such as transparent glass or plastic, or an object such as black. Had a label printed with a black barcode on a white base. In the case of a transparent or translucent sheet, etc., even with black barcode printing,
In some cases, it is possible to read with a barcode reader, but when the contents are contained like a container, it cannot be read. As an example of barcode printing, for example,
In a clinical test system, a label is attached to a test tube made of glass or plastic such as polystyrene or polypropylene, and necessary information (sample information etc.) is attached to the label.
By recording a bar code and recording the bar code automatically with a bar code reader, a large number of sample processes can be automatically processed.

[0004] However, (1) In the process of the clinical test automation system, the label application process is an important online process, but in order to apply the label with high accuracy, the accuracy of the machine or the adhesive in the label is required. (2) Machines and devices required for automation systems are factors that increase the cost of automation systems. (3) Even if labels are applied with high accuracy, there are some parts with poor adhesion. If there is, when it is returned to the test tube rack, it may cause clogging of the mechanical system due to peeling of the label. (4)
In a system in which a label and a test tube are divided into two, that is, a system in which a label and a test tube are separated, problems such as that a problem is easily caused in waste treatment are observed.

[0005]

There is a need for a method that can directly provide a bar code without the need for a step of labeling an object.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a printing medium comprising:
Provided is a barcode printing method and a printed material in which printing of a barcode and printing of at least a part other than the barcode on the entire surface or a part of an area scanned by a barcode reader are performed by an inkjet. Hereinafter, “printing of the entire area or a part of the area scanned by the barcode reader and at least a part other than the barcode” is referred to as “printing other than the barcode”. In the present invention, “printing a barcode” means printing a barcode stripe (barcode line) or a barcode other than a linear one, and “printing other than a barcode” means using a barcode reader. It can form a white base or the like that is readable and has a contrast with "printing of barcodes". In some cases, it also includes printing the outside of the outermost barcode. "Printing other than barcodes"
Then, it is also possible to first print the entire surface or a part of the area scanned by the barcode reader, and then perform "barcode printing". As an area to be printed, it is possible to print a considerably wide area or to print only between bar codes so that the bar code reader can easily read the area.

The printing medium (object) of the present invention is preferably a transparent or translucent glass or plastic object, a black or dark color object, but other than these,
It may be paper, plastic, metal, wood, porcelain, or a composite thereof. Also, the shape is not particularly limited, such as a flat shape and a curved shape. further,
The surface may be painted. In the case of a transparent test tube or the like, for example, a light-transmitting test tube composed of only a plastic layer, multicolor printing of at least two colors with contrast is performed. First, a light-colored base printing such as white (printing other than a barcode) is performed first, and a darker printing such as black (barcode printing) is performed adjacent to the printing other than the barcode to form a barcode. Printing that can be read by a barcode reader is performed. Of course, the printing order may be such that barcode printing is performed first, then printing other than barcode may be performed, and depending on the printing device, barcode printing and printing other than barcode may be repeatedly performed. Good.
That is, the object can be achieved by performing multicolor inkjet printing of at least two colors with contrast. Further, the printing other than the barcode may be the entire surface of the portion where the barcode is printed or solid printing.

As the bar code, in addition to a normal bar code stripe (bar code line) code, a code having a shape other than a linear shape such as a color code may be used. The ink jet recording apparatus discharges a droplet of a recording liquid from a nozzle to form an image on a recording medium, and has low noise,
This is a recording device having features such as low running cost. In the present invention, as a method of forming an image on a printing medium by ejecting ink as droplets, various methods generally used in an ink jet method are used.
Examples of such a system include a continuous ejection type (binary deflection, multi-deflection system, etc.) and an ink-on-demand type (piezo system, bubble jet system, thermal jet system, solenoid valve system, etc.). .

The ink jet device used in the present invention is a device capable of multicolor printing, and has a plurality of nozzles, including a white ink nozzle and a black nozzle. If printing or recording is to be performed while the apparatus, the head of the first color serving as the leading end in the transport direction of the printing medium and the head of the second color behind the printing apparatus, or printing / recording with the printing medium fixed, A device which can move an arm connected to the printer to an arbitrary position in the horizontal direction to discharge the recording liquid is used. Further, an apparatus using a continuous jet type head can also be applied to the present invention.
In an apparatus using a continuous ejection type head, a recording liquid stored in a recording liquid tank is pressurized by a pump and ejected from a nozzle as droplets. Then, the droplets discharged from the head are charged in an amount corresponding to the recording information. When passing through the deflection electrode, the charged droplet deflects according to the charge amount, reaches the recording medium, and records. The recording liquid not used for recording is collected by the garter, returned to the recording liquid tank, and circulated again.

The ink according to the present invention may be any of a solvent type, an aqueous type and a solid type. The solvent type is an ink having excellent drying properties due to a volatile solvent. The aqueous type has a problem that it is easy to handle but the drying is slow. The solid type has no evaporation of the solvent and is easy to dry. The solid type ink is an ink in which a colorant is dispersed or dissolved in wax, a metal salt of a fatty acid, a low molecular weight resin, or the like. In addition, a thermosetting type ink is desirable to improve adhesion,
In addition, as inks that do not use volatile solvents or reduce the amount of solvents used, thermosetting types, ultraviolet (UV)
Alternatively, a curing type ink by electron beam (EB) irradiation is also effective. In the present invention, at the same time, multi-color printing may be performed at a narrow interval or simultaneously with printing of a bar code and printing other than the bar code, so that curing and drying are fast, UV,
It is desirable to use an EB curing type. Further, in this case, high-speed curing and drying can be performed by irradiating an ultraviolet ray or an electron beam focused on the discharge portion of the recording liquid. The apparatus has an ultraviolet or electron beam control unit, and is connected to an ultraviolet or electron beam generation unit by a cable.

The UV and EB curable inks contain a photopolymerizable compound. As the photopolymerizable compound,
Monomers and prepolymers having an ethylenically unsaturated double bond can be used. A thermosetting or thermoplastic resin can also be used as part of the ink. In order to obtain the stability of the ink over time and the in-machine stability in the recording apparatus, the thermal polymerization inhibitor is usually contained in an amount of 0.01 to 5% by weight.
The colorant (colorant) is ink-jet ink (recording liquid) 1
0.5 to 30 parts by weight, preferably 1 to 1 part by weight
It is preferable from the viewpoint of coloring properties and the like that it is contained in the range of 0 parts by weight. An inkjet ink can be obtained by adding it to an aqueous liquid as it is, or by performing a normal dissolution or dispersion for a short time.

[0012] An ink-jet ink can be obtained by dissolving or dispersing in a high concentration state, diluting it to a concentration suitable for printing or printing, further adding an additive as needed, and filtering. An aqueous ink containing water as a main component is composed of a coloring agent, water, an aqueous solvent and the like. The aqueous solvent prevents the ink from drying and solidifying at the nozzle portion, stably ejects the recording liquid, and also functions as a humectant. The aqueous solvent alone or in a mixture forms 0 to 25% by weight of the recording liquid. It is preferable to use in the range. As an aqueous solvent,
Examples include ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, triethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, glycerin and the like.

The water-based ink-jet ink may contain a water-based resin in order to enhance the fixability to a printing medium. When the printing medium has high ink receptivity, no aqueous resin is required. As the aqueous resin, a water-soluble resin that dissolves in water, a water-dispersible emulsion resin that disperses in water, and a colloidal dispersion resin are used alone or in combination. Specific examples of the aqueous resin include water-soluble resins and water-dispersible resins such as acrylic, styrene-acryl, polyester, polyamide, polyurethane, and fluorine. When fixability to a printing medium is required, the aqueous resin is preferably used in the recording liquid in an amount of 0.1 to 10% by weight.

The aqueous ink-jet ink includes a dispersant,
Additives such as a surface tension / penetration regulator, a fungicide, a chelating agent, an antifoaming agent, and an infrared absorber can be added as necessary. As the colorant, any of dyes and pigments can be used. Disperse dyes, water-insoluble dyes such as oil-soluble dyes, direct dyes, acid dyes, basic dyes, and the like made insoluble by lake formation, reactive dyes, metal-containing dyes, organic pigments, inorganic pigments, and the like can be used. It is advantageous to use a pigment for the purpose of improving various resistances including light resistance. As pigments, titanium oxide, titanium black, iron oxide, carbon black, calcium carbonate, etc., and organic pigments, quinacridone organic pigments, phthalocyanine organic pigments, benzimidazolone organic pigments, isoindolinone organic pigments, Azo organic pigments can be used. As the pigment, the average particle size is 10 to 200 nm in order to obtain the stability of the ejection and the stability of the recording liquid, and the transparency and sharpness of the color.
Is finely used.

The ink-jet ink of the present invention has a pore size of 3
It is preferable to sufficiently filter with a filter having a size of not more than μm, preferably not more than 1.0 μm, and more preferably not more than 0.45 μm. The ink is preferably adjusted as a liquid having a viscosity of 0.8 to 15 centipoise (25 ° C.), depending on the type of the recording apparatus. The surface tension of the ink is preferably 25 to 60 dyn / cm.
H is not particularly limited, but is in the range of 4 to 12, and is preferably 7 to 10 in terms of dissolution or dispersion stability.

When an oil-based ink is used, it is necessary to adjust the amount of charge in a continuous type printer.
It is necessary to add 2.0% by weight.

[0017]

In the examples, "parts" means "parts by weight" and "%" means "% by weight". A dispersion having the following composition was dispersed in a sand mill for 2 hours, and then filtered through a 1-micron filter to prepare a black recording liquid 1 (ink). Diallyl isophthalate prepolymer (manufactured by Daiso) 1 part Dipropylene glycol hexaacrylate 7 parts Tripropylene glycol diacrylate 1 part Solspers 24000 (manufactured by ICI Japan) 0.1 part Carbon black 3.0 parts Methyl ethyl ketone 75 parts Hydroquinone 0.2 part A cyan recording liquid having the following composition was prepared in the same manner as for the black color.

Vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer 5 parts Diallyl isophthalate prepolymer (manufactured by Daiso) 5 parts Dipropylene glycol hexaacrylate 8 parts Tripropylene glycol diacrylate 1 part Trimethylolpropane triacrylate 30 parts Lionol Blue FG7330 (Toyo Ink Mfg. Co., Ltd.) 3 parts P-methoxyphenol (Tokyo Kasei Kogyo Co., Ltd.) 0.2 parts Methyl ethyl ketone 45 parts A yellow recording liquid was prepared.

A yellow recording liquid was prepared in the same manner as for the cyan color, except that "Lionol Blue FG7330" was replaced with "Lionol Yellow FG1310" manufactured by Toyo Ink Manufacturing Co., Ltd. A white recording liquid 1 having the following composition was prepared in the same manner as the black color. Diallyl isophthalate prepolymer (manufactured by Daiso) 8 parts Dipropylene glycol hexaacrylate 1 part Tripropylene glycol diacrylate 5 parts Titanium oxide (Rishiru type, average particle size 0.2μ) 20 parts Methyl ethyl ketone 40 parts Novolac epoxy modified Acrylate 100 parts Trimethylolpropane triacrylate 50 parts Sodium thiocyanate 3 parts A white recording liquid having the following composition was prepared in the same manner as in black ink.

Diallyl isophthalate prepolymer (manufactured by Daiso) 10 parts Kayarad DPHA (manufactured by Nippon Kayaku) 8 parts Kayarad TPGDA (manufactured by Nippon Kayaku) 1 part Aerosil 300 (manufactured by Nippon Aerosil) 1.2 parts Methyl ethyl ketone 75 parts Ink recording liquid 2 having the following composition was prepared. Vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer 8 parts Methyl ethyl ketone 60 parts Methanol 25 parts Oil black HBB 3 parts A white recording liquid 2 having the following composition was prepared.

Styrene-acrylic resin 10 parts Methyl ethyl ketone 70 parts Methanol 15 parts Titanium oxide 5 parts Solspers 24000 (manufactured by Zeneca) 1 part Example 1 A soft package made of polyethylene film (transparent)
Using the black recording liquid 1 and the white recording liquid 1, printing of a barcode and printing other than the barcode were performed by a multicolor inkjet apparatus having a piezo (share mode) head. An electron beam irradiation device following the scanning of the head was attached to the back of the head. A head scans the film in the horizontal direction to perform printing, and irradiates the printed recording liquid with an electron beam of 50 KV and 150 W / cm 2,
Instant curing was confirmed. The printed matter had sufficient adhesion.

The resulting printed matter (soft package) could be read by a bar code reader even if the contents were contained. This inkjet recording apparatus uses an electron beam-curable recording liquid, and has an electron beam irradiation unit in the vicinity of the head that functions in synchronization with the head that discharges the recording liquid. The recording liquid can be hardened immediately after the recording liquid is reached. Therefore, unlike the conventional case, there is no need to convey the recorded material from the recording unit to the drying or curing unit, the drying speed is increased, and a large amount of high-speed printing can be handled. Further, in an apparatus having a transporting step as in the related art, in the transporting step in an undried state, bleeding of a recording liquid and disturbance of an image due to the bleeding may occur. Because of rapid drying, high-speed printing can be performed even for a recorded matter in which the discharge amount of the recording liquid is large. Example 2 In Example 1, a cyan recording liquid was used instead of the black recording liquid 1, and a yellow recording liquid was used instead of the white recording liquid 1.
When printing was performed in the same manner, the image could be read with a barcode reader in the same manner as in Example 1. Example 3 In the same manner as in Example 1, a bar code and printing other than the bar code were performed on a glass test tube (transparent) using the above-described black recording liquid 1 and white recording liquid 1.

Although the test tube contained blood, it could be read by a bar code reader. Example 4 In a soft package made of a black vinyl chloride resin film,
Using the black recording liquid 2 and the white recording liquid 2, printing other than a bar code and a bar code was performed using the same apparatus as in Example 1 (there is no electron beam irradiation apparatus). Even if there was something inside, it could be read with a barcode reader.

[0024]

According to the present invention, an object such as a transparent glass or a plastic or an object such as a black object can be obtained by printing a bar code and printing other than the bar code which can be read by a bar code reader. The present invention provides a method and a printed material that can easily print a barcode on a printing medium).

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An ink jet printing method for printing a bar code and printing at least a part other than the bar code on an entire surface or a part of an area scanned by a bar code reader on a printing medium. Bar code printing method. 2. The printing of a barcode is performed with black inkjet ink, and the printing of at least a portion other than the barcode on the entire surface or a part of an area scanned by a barcode reader is performed with white inkjet ink. The barcode printing method according to claim 1, wherein 3. The printing of a bar code and printing of at least a part other than the bar code on the entire surface or a part of the area scanned by the bar code reader on the printing medium by an inkjet method. Characterized barcode printed matter.