A full-color protected document, and methods and systems for making same, secured by a removable Scratch-Off Coating, where the protection against document alteration and/or copy type attacks is provided by digitally imaging Benday patterns and/or digital imaged background patterns around the variable indicia. By printing Benday patterns and/or imaged background using the same process color imagers, usability and integrity of the protected document are achieved relative to the consumer's perspective while at the same time providing a more secure, less expensive, and more aesthetically pleasing document design.

A printing method or system for making a security-enhanced scratch-off document and the document so made are disclosed. The security-enhanced document includes a substrate, variable indicia, at least one other printed portion having background noise, and a scratch-off-coating layer applied over the variable indicia to maintain the variable indicia unreadable until the scratch-off-coating is removed by being scratched off. The variable indicia includes ink having a signal-to-noise ratio relative to the background ink noise of the document's at least one other printed portion, such that the variable indicia are unreadable with reference to the at least one other printed portion when the scratch-off-coating remains intact. Additionally, digitally imaging countermeasures to unassisted and assisted mechanical SOC lift are also disclosed. These methods and systems enhance the overall appearance of the ticket as well as potentially reduce the time and setup costs between print runs.

In one embodiment, a scratch-off product with enhanced security comprises printing indicia and one or more other layers of the scratch-off product using inks and/or dies having the same or a similar chemical composition as the indicia to protect against attempts to view the hidden indicia without scratching-off the scratch-off coating. Printing the indicia and one or more layers of the scratch-off product using inks having the same or a similar chemical composition substantially reduces and/or eliminates the signal-to-noise ratio of the indicia relative to the other portions of the scratch-off product. In one embodiment, some or all of the layers of the scratch-off product are printed to cover the entirety of the scratch-off product increasing the efficiency of printing scratch-off products.

A security-enhanced document includes a substrate; at least one lower portion of graphic imaging with or without first variable indicia directly or indirectly digitally imaged on the substrate; at least one release coat applied over the lower portion; at least one SOC applied over the release coat to maintain the lower portion imaging unreadable until removal of the SOC; and at least one overprint upper portion with digital imaging of second variable indicia over the SOC, the overprint upper portion being registered to cover at least a part of the imaging of the lower portion, the overprint upper portion being associated with the lower portion, such that the upper portion has at least one associated feature imaged with respect to a visual or thematic aspect of the lower portion. The document enhances the popularity and fun of games using the document, and may expand the consumer base for the games.

A security-enhanced document includes a substrate; at least one lower portion of graphic imaging with or without first variable indicia directly or indirectly digitally imaged on the substrate; at least one release coat applied over the lower portion; at least one SOC applied over the release coat to maintain the lower portion imaging unreadable until removal of the SOC; and at least one overprint upper portion with digital imaging of second variable indicia over the SOC, the overprint upper portion being registered to cover at least a part of the imaging of the lower portion, the overprint upper portion being associated with the lower portion, such that the upper portion has at least one associated feature imaged with respect to a visual or thematic aspect of the lower portion. The document enhances the popularity and fun of games using the document, and may expand the consumer base for the games.

A security-enhanced document with collectible imaging, the document includes a substrate; at least one lower portion imaging with graphic imaging and with or without first variable indicia, the lower portion imaging directly or indirectly digitally imaged on the substrate, the lower portion comprising first collectible digital imaging; at least one release coat applied over the first collectible imaging; at least one scratch-off-coating layer applied over the release coat to maintain the first collectible imaging of the lower portion unreadable until removal of the scratch-off-coating; and at least one overprint upper portion with or without second variable indicia and with second collectible digital imaging associated with the lower portion first collectible imaging with respect to a visual or thematic aspect of the first collectible imaging. The document enhances the popularity and fun games using the document, and may expand the consumer base for the games.

A security-enhanced document with collectible imaging, the document includes a substrate; at least one lower portion imaging with graphic imaging and with or without first variable indicia, the lower portion imaging directly or indirectly digitally imaged on the substrate, the lower portion comprising first collectible digital imaging; at least one release coat applied over the first collectible imaging; at least one scratch-off-coating layer applied over the release coat to maintain the first collectible imaging of the lower portion unreadable until removal of the scratch-off-coating; and at least one overprint upper portion with or without second variable indicia and with second collectible digital imaging associated with the lower portion first collectible imaging with respect to a visual or thematic aspect of the first collectible imaging. The document enhances the popularity and fun games using the document, and may expand the consumer base for the games.

A lottery ticket is printed on a substrate sheet material having a front surface with lottery game indicia printed thereon and a removable covering material, typically scratch-off material, covering the lottery game indicia which is removable by a player to expose the game indicia for playing the game and other game information printed on the substrate sheet material where at least part of the substrate sheet material is formed of a translucent synthetic material to enable viewing through the part by the player.

An article for laser marking can comprising: a thermoplastic composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer, an active component comprising at least one of a polymeric unit and an additive, wherein the thermoplastic polymer has a visible transmission of greater than or equal to 80% according to ASTM D1003-00, Procedure A, using D65 illumination, 10 degrees observer, and thickness of 1 mm; and a mark produced by chemical rearrangement of the active component generated by a laser of a first wavelength; wherein the mark exhibits at least one of: (i) a change in optical properties in the region 400 nm to 700 nm when exposed to light having a wavelength less than or equal to 500 nm; and (ii) a change in optical properties in the region of 400 nm to 700 nm when exposed to light having a wavelength greater than or equal to the first wavelength.

A multi-game ticket assembly includes a single continuous substrate having a middle section and opposite end sections folded inwardly against the middle section. A portion of the front surface of each end section is adhered to the front surface of the middle section. Each of the end sections has a game area defined by lines of weakness in the substrate, with each game area further including a first game printed on the rear surface thereof and a second separate game printed on the front surface thereof. The first games of the end sections are adjacent and accessible to a player from a front aspect of the ticket assembly, and the second game of each end section is accessible to the player by separating the game area from its respective end section and folding the game area outwardly away from the middle section.