Authenticatable printed matter, and method for producing the same

• US 20040021311A1
• Filed: 12/09/2002
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Printing Bureau, Incorporated Administrative Agency
• Original Assignee: National Printing Bureau, Incorporated Administrative Agency
• Inventors: Kiuchi, Masato, Shimada, Kazuhiko, Okumura, Hisashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,243,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 283/72
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/144 using fluorescent, luminescent or iridescent effects
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/148 Transitory images, i.e. images only visible from certain viewing angles
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/00 Printed matter of special format or style not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/916 Fraud or tamper detecting

Abstract

This invention provides authenticity discriminable printed matter in which a latent image cannot be visually identified under ordinary visible light but appears upon being irradiated with UV rays. A basic image is formed on a base material. The basic image is made of a latent image portion and latent image peripheral portion. The latent image portion and latent image peripheral portion cannot be visually discriminated, and each of them is formed from a set of dots continuously laid out at a predetermined period. The resolution of the dots of the latent image portion is different from that of the dots of the latent image peripheral portion. The latent image portion and latent image peripheral portion have the same percent dot area per unit area and different dot peripheral lengths (contour lengths) per unit area. The latent image portion and latent image peripheral portion are printed by color fluorescent ink, thus obtaining printed matter.

Claims

1. Authenticity discriminable printed matter in which a latent image that is formed on a collective pattern is hardly be visually identified under ordinary visible light but appears upon being irradiated with UV rays,

wherein a basic image is formed on a base material, the basic image has a latent image portion and a latent image peripheral portion, the latent image portion and latent image peripheral portion are difficult to be discriminated under the ordinary visible light, each of the latent image portion and latent image peripheral portion is formed from a set of dots continuously laid out at a predetermined period, a resolution of the dots of the latent image portion is different from that of the dots of the latent image peripheral portion, the latent image portion and latent image peripheral portion have the same percent dot area per unit area and different dot peripheral lengths per unit area, and the latent image portion and latent image peripheral portion are printed by color fluorescent ink.

2. Printed matter according to claim 1, wherein the dot peripheral length per unit area of the dots of the latent image portion is not less than twice the dot peripheral length per unit area of the dots of the latent image peripheral portion.

3. Printed matter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dot has one of a square dot shape, chain dot shape, round dot shape, and a combination thereof.

4. Printed matter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a camouflage pattern is further printed on the printed matter.

5. A method of generating authenticity discriminable printed matter in which a latent image that is formed on a collective pattern is hardly be visually identified under ordinary visible light but appears upon being irradiated with UV rays,

wherein a basic image is formed on a base material, the basic image has a latent image portion and a latent image peripheral portion, the latent image portion and latent image peripheral portion are difficult to discriminated under the ordinary visible light, each of the latent image portion and latent image peripheral portion is formed from a set of dots continuously laid out at a predetermined period, a resolution of the dots of the latent image portion is different from that of the dots of the latent image peripheral portion, and the latent image portion and latent image peripheral portion have the same percent dot area per unit area and different dot peripheral lengths per unit area, and the latent image portion and latent image peripheral portion are printed by color fluorescent ink.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the dot peripheral length per unit area of the dots of the latent image portion is not less than twice the dot peripheral length per unit area of the dots of the latent image peripheral portion.

7. A method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the dot has one of a square dot shape, chain dot shape, and round dot shape, or a combination thereof.

8. A method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein a camouflage pattern is further printed on the printed matter.

9. Authenticity discriminable printed matter in which a latent image that is formed on a curved collective pattern is hardly be visually identified under ordinary visible light but appears upon being irradiated with UV rays,

wherein the curved collective pattern is formed from one image line having no latent image and a plurality of branched image lines which have the latent image and are visually recognized as one continuous line, the curved collective pattern is designed so as to make a sum of image line widths of the plurality of branched image lines substantially equal an image line width of said one image line and a sum of image line peripheral lengths in a predetermined length of the plurality of branched image lines in a direction of base curved line different from a sum of image line peripheral lengths in the predetermined length of said one image line in the direction of base curved line, and said one image line and the plurality of branched image lines are printed by color fluorescent ink.

10. Printed matter according to claim 9, wherein the sum of the image line widths of the plurality of branched image lines falls within a range of 90% to 110% of the image line width of said one image line.

11. Printed matter according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the sum of the image line peripheral lengths per unit printing area of the plurality of branched image lines is not less than 1.4 times the sum of the image line peripheral lengths per unit printing area of said one image line.

12. Printed matter according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein at a portion where image lines of said one image line, image lines of the plurality of branched image lines, or said one image line and the plurality of branched image lines cross, one of the crossing image lines is deleted.

13. Printed matter according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the curved collective pattern is one of a ground tint pattern, lathe work pattern, relief pattern, and a combination thereof.

14. A method of generating authenticity discriminable printed matter in which a latent image that is formed on a curved collective pattern is hardly be visually identified under ordinary visible light but appears upon being irradiated with UV rays,

wherein the curved collective pattern is formed from one image line having no latent image and a plurality of branched image lines which have the latent image and are visually recognized as one continuous line, the curved collective pattern is designed so as to make a sum of image line widths of the plurality of branched image lines substantially equal an image line width of said one image line and a sum of image line peripheral lengths in a predetermined length of the plurality of branched image lines in a direction of base curved line different from a sum of image line peripheral lengths in the predetermined length of said one image line in the direction of base curved line, and said one image line and the plurality of branched image lines are printed by color fluorescent ink.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the sum of the image line widths of the plurality of branched image lines falls within a range of 90% to 110% of the image line width of said one image line.

16. A method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the sum of the image line peripheral lengths per unit printing area of the plurality of branched image lines is not less than 1.4 times the sum of the image line peripheral lengths per unit printing area of said one image line.

17. A method according to any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein at a portion where image lines of said one image line, image lines of the plurality of branched image lines, or said one image line and the plurality of branched image lines cross, one of the crossing image lines is deleted.

18. A method according to anyone of claims 14 to 17, wherein the curved collective pattern is one of a ground tint pattern, lathe work pattern, relief pattern, and a combination thereof.

19. Authenticity discriminable printed matter in which a latent image that is formed on a curved collective pattern is hardly be visually identified under ordinary visible light but appears upon being irradiated with UV rays,

wherein the curved collective pattern is made of an image line formed from a continuous line having no latent image and an image line formed from a periodic broken line having the latent image, the periodic broken line being formed from image lines which have a predetermined shape and are visually recognized as one continuous line and laid out in a direction of base curved line,

the curved collective pattern is designed so as to make an image line area of a portion formed from one image line portion and one non-image line portion corresponding to one period of the periodic broken line substantially equal an image line area of the continuous line having a length corresponding to one period of the periodic broken line and an image line peripheral length of the portion formed from one image line portion and one non-image line portion corresponding to one period of the periodic broken line different from an image line peripheral length of the continuous line corresponding to one period of the periodic broken line, and the image line formed from the continuous line and the image line formed from the periodic broken line are printed by color fluorescent ink.

20. Printed matter according to claim 19, wherein the image line area of the portion corresponding to one period of the periodic broken line falls within a range of 90% to 110% of the image line area of a portion of the continuous line corresponding to the same length as one period in the periodic broken line.

21. Printed matter according to claim 19 or 21, wherein the image line peripheral length of the portion corresponding to one period of the periodic broken line is not less than 1.1 times that of the image line peripheral length of the portion of the continuous line corresponding to the same length as one period in the periodic broken line.

22. Printed matter according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein at a portion where image lines formed from the continuous lines, image lines formed from periodic broken lines, an image line formed from the continuous line and an image line formed from the periodic broken line cross, one of the crossing image lines is deleted.

23. Printed matter according to any one of claims 19 to 22, wherein the curved collective pattern is one of a ground tint pattern, lathe work pattern, relief pattern, and a combination thereof.

24. A method of generating authenticity discriminable printed matter in which a latent image that is formed on a curved collective pattern is hardly be visually identified under ordinary visible light but appears upon being irradiated with UV rays,

wherein the curved collective pattern is made of an image line formed from a continuous line having no latent image and an image line formed from a periodic broken line having the latent image, the periodic broken line being formed from image lines which have a predetermined shape and are visually recognized as one continuous line and laid out in a direction of base curved line,

the curved collective pattern is designed so as to make an image line area of a portion formed from one image line portion and one non-image line portion corresponding to one period of the periodic broken line substantially equal an image line area of the continuous line having a length corresponding to one period of the periodic broken line and an image line peripheral length of the portion formed from one image line portion and one non-image line portion corresponding to one period of the periodic broken line different from an image line peripheral length of the continuous line corresponding to one period of the periodic broken line, and the image line formed from the continuous line and the image line formed from the periodic broken line are printed by color fluorescent ink.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the image line area of the portion corresponding to one period of the periodic broken line falls within a range of 90% to 110% of the image line area of a portion of the continuous line corresponding to the same length as one period in the periodic broken line.

26. A method according to claim 24 or 25, wherein the image line peripheral length of the portion corresponding to one period of the periodic broken line is not less than 1.1 times that of the image line peripheral length of the portion of the continuous line corresponding to the same length as one period in the periodic broken line.

27. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein at a portion where image lines formed from the continuous lines, image lines formed from periodic broken lines, an image line formed from the continuous line and an image line formed from the periodic broken line cross, one of the crossing image lines is deleted.

28. A method according to any one of claims 24 to 27, wherein the curved collective pattern is one of a ground tint pattern, lathe work pattern, relief pattern, and a combination thereof.

29. Authenticity discriminable printed matter in which a latent image is formed on an image line pattern formed from one or a plurality of image lines using a straight line or curved line as an image line portion,

wherein an image line of a portion having no latent image in the image line pattern is formed from a solid line, an image line of a portion having the latent image is formed from image lines made of broken lines obtained by using a reference line as a central portion of the solid line as a reference, substantially equidistantly branching the image line into a plurality of image lines in a direction perpendicular to the reference line, and dividing each of the plurality of branched image lines in a direction substantially perpendicular to the reference line, the broken lines are formed from image lines for which a sum of image line areas of the image lines having a length of a portion corresponding to one period formed from an image line portion and a non-image line portion of the broken line divided in the direction of reference line in the broken lines of the portion having the latent image substantially equals an image line area of the solid line of a portion corresponding to the same length as one period in the broken lines divided in the direction substantially perpendicular to the reference line in the solid line of the portion having no latent image, and the image line of the portion having no latent image and the broken lines of the portion having the latent image are printed by color fluorescent ink.

30. Printed matter according to claim 29, wherein the image lines of the portion having the latent image are periodic broken lines made of broken lines having a shape obtained by using the reference line as the central portion of the solid line as the reference, substantially equidistantly branching the image line into a plurality of image lines in the direction perpendicular to the reference line, dividing each of the plurality of branched image lines in the direction substantially perpendicular to the reference line, and laying out the image lines at a substantially predetermined interval.

31. Printed matter according to claim 29, wherein the image lines of the portion having the latent image are periodic broken lines juxtaposed at a shifted period, in which using the reference line as the central portion of the solid line as the reference, the image lines are substantially equidistantly branched into a plurality of image lines in the direction perpendicular to the reference line, the plurality of branched image lines are formed from broken lines divided in the direction substantially perpendicular to the reference line and laid out at a predetermined interval, and at least one of the plurality of branched image lines is shifted from the remaining branched image lines.

32. Printed matter according to claim 29, wherein the image lines of the portion having the latent image are periodic broken lines juxtaposed at different periods, in which using the reference line as the central portion of the solid line as the reference, the image lines are substantially equidistantly branched into a plurality of image lines in the direction perpendicular to the reference line, the plurality of branched image lines are formed from broken lines divided in the direction substantially perpendicular to the reference line and laid out at a predetermined interval, and at least one of the plurality of branched image lines is laid out at a period different from that of the remaining branched image lines.

33. Printed matter according to any one of claims 29 to 32, wherein the sum of image line areas of the image lines having the length of the portion corresponding to one period formed from the image line portion and the non-image line portion of the broken line divided in the direction perpendicular to the reference line in the broken lines of the portion having the latent image falls within a range of 95% to 110% of an image line area substantially equal to the image line area of the solid line of the portion corresponding to the same length as one period in the broken lines divided in the direction substantially perpendicular to the reference line in the solid line of the portion having no latent image.

34. Printed matter according to any one of claims 29 to 33, wherein at a portion where the image lines of the portion having no latent image, the broken lines, the periodic broken lines, the periodic broken lines juxtaposed at the shifted period, the periodic broken lines juxtaposed at the different periods, or any two kinds of the image lines cross, one of the crossing image lines is deleted.

35. Printed matter according to any one of claims 29 to 34, wherein the image line pattern is at least one of a ground tint pattern, lathe work pattern, and relief pattern.

36. A method of generating authenticity discriminable printed matter in which a latent image is formed on an image line pattern formed from one or a plurality of image lines using a straight line or curved line as an image line portion,

wherein an image line of a portion having no latent image in the image line pattern is formed from a solid line, an image line of a portion having the latent image is formed from image lines made of broken lines obtained by using a reference line as a central portion of the solid line as a reference, substantially equidistantly branching the image line into a plurality of image lines in a direction perpendicular to the reference line, and dividing each of the plurality of branched image lines in a direction substantially perpendicular to the reference line, the broken lines are formed from image lines for which a sum of image line areas of the image lines having a length of a portion corresponding to one period formed from an image line portion and a non-image line portion of the broken line divided in the direction of reference line in the broken lines of the portion having the latent image substantially equals an image line area of the solid line of a portion corresponding to the same length as one period in the broken lines divided in the direction substantially perpendicular to the reference line in the solid line of the portion having no latent image, and the image line of the portion having no latent image and the broken lines of the portion having the latent image are printed by color fluorescent ink.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein the image lines of the portion having the latent image are periodic broken lines made of broken lines having a shape obtained by using the reference line as the central portion of the solid line as the reference, substantially equidistantly branching the image line into a plurality of image lines in the direction perpendicular to the reference line, dividing each of the plurality of branched image lines in the direction substantially perpendicular to the reference line, and laying out the image lines at a substantially predetermined interval.

38. A method according to claim 36, wherein the image lines of the portion having the latent image are periodic broken lines juxtaposed at a shifted period, in which using the reference line as the central portion of the solid line as the reference, the image lines are substantially equidistantly branched into a plurality of image lines in the direction perpendicular to the reference line, the plurality of branched image lines are formed from broken lines divided in the direction substantially perpendicular to the reference line and laid out at a predetermined interval, and at least one of the plurality of branched image lines is shifted from the remaining branched image lines.

39. A method according to claim 36, wherein the image lines of the portion having the latent image are periodic broken lines juxtaposed at different periods, in which using the reference line as the central portion of the solid line as the reference, the image lines are substantially equidistantly branched into a plurality of image lines in the direction perpendicular to the reference line, the plurality of branched image lines are formed from broken lines divided in the direction substantially perpendicular to the reference line and laid out at a predetermined interval, and at least one of the plurality of branched image lines is laid out at a period different from that of the remaining branched image lines.

40. A method according to anyone of claims 36 to 39, wherein the sum of image line areas of the image lines having the length of the portion corresponding to one period formed from the image line portion and the non-image line portion of the broken line divided in the direction perpendicular to the reference line in the broken lines of the portion having the latent image falls within a range of 95% to 110% of an image line area substantially equal to the image line area of the solid line of the portion corresponding to the same length as one period in the broken lines divided in the direction substantially perpendicular to the reference line in the solid line of the portion having no latent image.

41. A method according to any one of claims 36 to 40, wherein at a portion where the image lines of the portion having no latent image, the broken lines, the periodic broken lines, the periodic broken lines juxtaposed at the shifted period, the periodic broken lines juxtaposed at the different periods, or any two kinds of the image lines cross, one of the crossing image lines is deleted.

42. A method according to any one of claims 36 to 41, wherein the image line pattern is at least one of a ground tint pattern, lathe work pattern, and relief pattern.