Abstract
A method for creating a printed product includes providing a printing substrate, providing a first fluid, applying the first fluid to the printing substrate as a first layer, providing an effect fluid as a second fluid, the effect fluid including a carrier fluid and platelet-shaped effect pigments, and applying the effect fluid to the printing substrate as a second layer, the second layer forming an effect layer. The first layer is created as a duct layer having a multiplicity of ducts. The ducts allow at least a portion of the carrier fluid of the effect fluid to pass through or enter, and the ducts substantially do not allow the effect pigments of the effect fluid to pass through or enter. This provides a cost-efficient and advantageous way of creating high-quality printed products with top quality finish and special effects having improved impact of the special effects.
Claims
1. A method of creating a printed product, the method comprising: providing a printing substrate; providing a first fluid and applying the first fluid to the printing substrate as a first layer; providing an effect fluid as a second fluid, the effect fluid including a carrier fluid and platelet-shaped effect pigments, and applying the effect fluid to the printing substrate as a second layer, the second layer forming an effect layer; and creating the first layer as a duct layer having a multiplicity of ducts, the ducts allowing at least a portion of the carrier fluid of the effect fluid to pass through or to enter, and the ducts substantially not allowing the effect pigments of the effect fluid to pass through or enter.
2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises creating the ducts as ducts passing through the first layer.
3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises creating the ducts as ducts terminating in the first layer.
4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises creating the ducts when the first fluid is applied.
5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises creating the ducts after the first fluid has been applied.
6. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises smoothing the duct layer.
7. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises applying an absorption layer to the printing substrate, the absorption layer at least one of accepting or absorbing the carrier fluid.
8. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing the effect pigments as non-leafing pigments relative to the carrier fluid.
9. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises at least one of drying or curing the printed product.
10. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises at least one of drying or curing at least one of: the duct layer, the effect layer, a further layer, or a protective layer.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0045] FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C are diagrammatic, cross-sectional views of a substrate and a layer according to the prior art;
[0046] FIGS. 2A and 2B are cross-sectional views of a substrate and a layer according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0047] FIGS. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of a substrate and a layer according to a further preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0048] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention;
[0049] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a printing machine implementing the invention; and
[0050] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, top-plan view of a duct layer in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0051] Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawings, in which corresponding features have the same reference symbols and repetitive reference symbols have sometimes been left out for reasons of visibility, and first, particularly, to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C thereof, there is seen an illustration of the prior art. A fluid 7 has been applied to a printing substrate 2 as a layer 8. The fluid 7 includes a carrier fluid 9 and platelet-shaped effect pigments 10 included therein. The pigments 10 are leafing pigments, i.e. they accumulate on the surface 8a of the carrier fluid, which has not yet been dried or cured. A protective layer 17 is provided to protect the pigments 10 against being scratched off the surface in an undesired way.
[0052] The embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, i.e. the illustrated succession of layers provided by a method of the invention, illustrates a printed product 1 including a printing substrate 2, for instance paper, cardboard, or foil. A first fluid 3 has been applied to the printing substrate as a first layer 4. The first layer includes ducts 5, preferably continuous ducts 5a that pass through the entire layer, alternatively blind ducts 5b (only one such duct is shown by way of example). The first layer has a surface 4a. A second fluid 7 has been applied to the surface 4a as a so-called effect fluid. The second fluid forms a second layer 8, which is known as an effect layer. The effect layer 8 includes a carrier fluid 9 and preferably platelet-shaped effect pigments 10 included therein. The effect pigments are non-leafing pigments which do not accumulate on the surface 8a of the effect layer but preferably remain homogeneously distributed within the carrier fluid.
[0053] A comparison between FIGS. 2A and 2B reveals that the effect layer 8 has lost carrier fluid 9. The ducts 5 are made in such a way that they allow at least a portion of the carrier fluid to get into the ducts and/or preferably to pass through them. In the illustrated example, a portion of the carrier fluid has passed through the ducts and has thus reached the printing substrate 2. Since the printing substrate has a suction effect on the carrier fluid, the latter penetrates into the printing substrate, i.e. it is absorbed by the printing substrate. This process reduces the thickness of the effect layer, causing the effect pigments 10 to move closer to one another and to preferably orient themselves to be plane-parallel to one another and to the plane of the effect layer. This improves the desired effect, for instance a gloss effect, created by the effect pigments in the effect layer.
[0054] The further embodiments of the invention shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B are substantially similar to the embodiment described above. However, an absorption layer 15 that has been applied to the printing substrate 2 in a first step is visible. The effect layer 8 has been applied to the surface of the absorption layer. The absorption layer has a suction effect on the carrier fluid 9. Thus at least a portion of the carrier fluid passes through the ducts 5 into the absorption layer and is absorbed by the latter. Therefore, this embodiment is advantageous when non-absorptive printing substrates 2 are used.
[0055] The flow chart shown in FIG. 4 illustrates the following steps of a preferred embodiment of the method of the invention: [0056] Step 30: providing the printing substrate 2. [0057] Optional step 31: creating the absorption layer 15. [0058] Step 32: providing the first fluid 3. [0059] Step 33: applying the first fluid 3/generating the first layer 4, i.e. the duct layer. [0060] Step 34: generating ducts 5. [0061] Steps 33 and 34 may preferably be combined to form a single step, i.e. the ducts 5 are generated when the first fluid 3 is applied. [0062] Optional step 35: smoothing the duct layer 4. [0063] Step 36: providing the second fluid 7. [0064] Step 37: applying the second fluid 7/creating the second layer 8, i.e. the effect layer. [0065] Optional step 38: applying a further fluid as a further layer 16 and/or applying a protective fluid as a protective layer 17. [0066] Optional step 39: drying and/or curing one layer, some of the layers, or all layers. Step 39 may be done as the last step. Step 39 may be done as an alternative or in addition to any one of steps 33, 34, or 35 and before step 36 and/or after step 37 and before step 38.
[0067] FIG. 5 illustrates a printing machine 20 for implementing a method of the invention. From left to right, the printing machine includes the following elements: [0068] a feeder 21 for sheets of a printing substrate or an unwinding device 21 for a web of a printing substrate; [0069] an application unit 22 which provides the first fluid 3 and creates the first layer 4. The application unit 22 preferably also creates the ducts 5. Optionally, a unit for creating the absorption layer 15 may be provided upstream of the application unit 22; [0070] an optional drying and/or curing device 23 for the first layer 4; [0071] an application unit 24 which provides the second fluid 7 and creates the second layer 8; [0072] an optional unit or multiple optional units 25 which create at least one further layer 16 and/or a protective layer 17. It takes a certain amount of time for the printing substrate 2 to pass through this unit/these units; in the meantime, the carrier fluid 9 may pass through the ducts 5 before an optional drying/curing process sets in if desired (forming a process path); and [0073] a delivery 26 for sheets of printing substrate or a wind-up device for web of printing substrate.
[0074] The printing machine 20 may be followed by a machine for the further processing of printed products, for instance a cutting device and/or a folding device.
[0075] FIG. 6 is a top view of the first layer/the duct layer 4. The ducts 5 in the surface 4a of the duct layer are clearly visible. In the illustrated example, the ducts form a regular pattern 6.
[0076] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention.
TABLE-US-00001 List of Reference Symbols: 1 printed product 2 printing substrate 3 first fluid 4 first layer/duct layer 4a surface of first layer 5 ducts 5a continuous ducts 5b blind ducts 6 screen 7 second fluid/effect fluid 8 second layer/effect layer 8a surface of second layer 9 carrier fluid 10 platelet-shaped effect pigments 15 optional absorption layer 16 optional further layer 17 optional protective layer 20 printing machine 21 feeder/unwinding device 22 application unit for first layer 23 optional drying/curing device 24 application unit for second layer 25 optional units, optional drying/curing device 26 delivery/wind-up device 30 providing printing substrate 31 optionally creating absorption layer 32 providing first fluid 33 applying first fluid/creating first layer 34 creating ducts 35 optionally smoothing the duct layer 36 providing second fluid 37 applying second fluid/creating second layer 38 optionally applying (further layer and/or protective layer) 39 optionally drying/curing
