Method and apparatus for bleed-printing and method and apparatus for decorating a paper object

• US 6,549,298 B1
• Filed: 01/12/2000
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jonathan D. Sieber, Joseph S. Sieber
• Original Assignee: Jonathan D. Sieber, Joseph S. Sieber
• Inventors: Sieber, Jonathan D., Sieber, Joseph S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wallerson, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): HASKINS, TWYLER LAMB
• Application Number:
  US09/481,579
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.18, 358/501, 156/247, 156/248, 156/268, 156/277, 428/352, 700/103, 700/132, 700/87, 345/632, 283/117
• US Class Current: 358/1.18
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0065 Means for printing without leaving a margin on at least one edge of the copy material, e.g. edge-to-edge printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/008 Controlling printhead for accurately positioning print image on printing material, e.g. with the intention to control the width of margins
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/52 Macromolecular coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/00 Printed matter of special format or style not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/02 Postcards; Greeting, menu, business or like cards; Letter cards or letter-sheets B42D25/00 takes precedence; envelopes B65D27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/02 Forms or constructions layered products B32B
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/10 by an adhesive layer

Abstract

A method of bleed-printing, for example, social stationery, including the steps of attaching a sheet of paper to be printed to a carrier, printing on the sheet of paper so that the printed matter extends beyond at least one edge of a die-cut portion of the sheet of paper, and removing the sheet of paper from the carrier. The adhesive chosen is such that the sheet of paper is substantially free of adhesive after it is removed from the carrier. A method of decorating a napkin, including the steps of printing printed material on a label comprising directory paper, and attaching the label to a napkin using an adhesive.

Claims

1. A system for bleed-printing, comprising:

a personal computer system including a central processing unit, a memory connected to the central processing unit, an operating system program stored in the memory, a display responsive to control by the central processing unit, input means for providing input to the personal computer system, and a printer responsive to control by the central processing unit;

a substrate loaded in the printer and having an outer periphery and a continuous perforated line spaced inwardly of said outer periphery such that said perforated line defines a corresponding primary printable area on at least one side of said substrate inwardly of said perforated line and such that said perforated line defines a corresponding secondary printable area on said at least one side of said substrate outwardly of said perforated line; and

an application program loaded in the memory, wherein said application program is compatible with the operating system program and wherein said application program includes;

means, responsive to input from a user using the input means, for providing an output having a first portion to be printed on said at least one side of said substrate in said primary printable area thereof;

means, responsive to input from the user using the input means, for actuating the printer to

a) print said first portion of said output on said at least one side of said substrate such that part of said first portion is printed continuously across at least part of said perforated line and in said secondary printable area of said at least one side and the remainder of said first portion is printed within said primary printable area of said at least one side, and

b) output said substrate from the printer.

2. A method of making a finished printed output having graphical matter printed to an edge of the finished printed output, said method comprising:

loading a print medium into a printer, wherein the print medium has a perforated line defining outwardly therefrom a continuous outer margin along the entire periphery of the print medium and defining inwardly therefrom a primary printable area on at least one side of the print medium;

printing the graphical matter on the at least one side of the print medium such that at least a portion of the graphical matter is printed continuously across the perforated line into both the outer margin and the primary printable area of the at least one side of the print medium;

removing the print medium from the printer; and

removing the outer margin along the perforated line so that the remaining portion of the print medium becomes the finished printed output having at least a portion of the graphical matter extending completely to an edge of the finished printed output.

3. A print medium for use in a personal computer system which includes a printer to produce a printed output having at least a portion of graphical matter printed completely to an edge of the printed output, said print medium comprising a substrate to load in the printer of the personal computer system, said substrate having an outer periphery and a continuous perforated line spaced inwardly of said outer periphery such that said perforated line defines a primary printable area on a side of said substrate inwardly of said perforated line and further such that said perforated line defines a marginal area having a secondary printable area on said side of said substrate outwardly of said perforated line, wherein said primary and secondary printable areas are located within said substrate to receive printing of the graphical matter from the printer operated by the personal computer system in response to a user, such that at least a portion of the graphical matter is printed across the perforated line into at least part of both said primary and secondary printable areas.

4. A system for bleed-printing, comprising:

a personal computer system including a central processing unit, a memory connected to the central processing unit, an operating system program stored in the memory, a display responsive to control by the central processing unit, input means for a user to provide input to the personal computer system, and a printer responsive to control by the central processing unit;

a substrate loaded in the printer, which substrate has at least one continuous, closed perforated line circumscribing a primary printable area defined thereby on said substrate inwardly of the perforated line such that the primary printable area is the area of a finished product of the personal computer system;

the continuous, closed perforated line also defining the inner boundary of a secondary printable area disposed on said substrate outwardly from the perforated line, which secondary printable area surrounds the respective primary printable area to receive printing into any portion of the secondary printable area from the personal computer system but which secondary printable area does not form part of any such finished product of the personal computer system; and

computer software loaded in the personal computer system, wherein said computer software is compatible with the operating system program and which computer software

allows a user of the personal computer system to generate graphical matter from at least one of material stored within the memory of the computer, or material created by the user of the personal computer system, and

transmits data defining said graphical matter to the printer such that the printer prints said graphical matter primarily upon the primary printable area of the substrate but also over the perforated line and onto the secondary printable area of the substrate.

5. A method of making a finished printed output having graphical matter printed to an edge of the finished printed output, said method comprising:

loading, by manual operation of a user of a personal computer system, a print medium into a conventional desktop printer connected in the personal computer system, wherein the printer is selected from the group consisting of ink jet printers, laser printers, and die sublimation printers, and wherein the print medium is loaded so that a first side of the print medium is in a print position, and further wherein the print medium has at least one continuous, closed perforated line circumscribing a primary printable area defined thereby on the print medium inwardly of the perforated line such that the primary printable is the area of a finished product of the personal computer system;

the continuous, closed perforated line also defining the inner boundary of a secondary printable area disposed on the print medium outwardly from the perforated line, which secondary printable area surrounds the respective primary printable area to receive printing into any portion of the secondary printable area from the personal computer system but which secondary printable area does not form part of any such finished product of the personal computer system;

generating graphical matter for printing in the primary printable area;

printing, with the printer in the personal computer system, the graphical matter on the first side of the print medium such that at least a portion of the graphical matter is printed continuously across the perforated line into both the secondary printable area and the primary printable area of the first side of the print medium;

removing, by manual operation of the user, the print medium from the printer; and

removing, by manual operation of the user, the outer margin along the perforated line so that the remaining portion of the print medium becomes the finished printed output having at least a portion of the graphical matter extending completely to an edge of the finished output.