GB2282909A - Print enhancement - Google Patents

Abstract

Printing in reverse or mirror image on two pieces of clear Rigid PVC material 4, 5 and facing the printed surfaces together and providing a means to prevent light projecting the image printed on one sheet through to the other and to enhance the printed images by reflecting light back through the printed clear sheets adding opacity and brilliance to solid colours and brilliance to translucent colours by sandwiching between the printed sheets a sheet of totally opaque reflective metallised or metallic reflective material such as Aluminium Foil 6. The two printed clear sheets with the opaque reflective sheet between are sandwiched together and the periphery of the clear sheets RF welded together to form a hermetically sealed and virtually one piece rigid panel suitable for double sided signs and alike <IMAGE>

Description

PRINT ENHANCEMENT This invention relates to a means of enhancing images printed in reverse on clear material for viewing through from the unprinted side of the material when used for sign panels and alike where two such panels are placed back to back for viewing from either side Printing a reversed or mirror image on to clear gloss material and viewing the image through the materiel from the unprinted side is well known The advantages of this method are that the printed surface is well protected and cannot be scratched and the image viewed in this way has added brilliance This method is used to produce the cells' which are drawn and coloured by artists and photographed with transparency film to make cartoons and alike in the cinematography indtzstry.

The advertising industry also uses this printing method to produce eye catching displays and in the labelling industry to produce scratch free labels.

When screen printing a mirror image the overall background colour which is often white is the ]st printed color.

To obtain good sold whits or other light colours screen printers sometimes find it necessary to give these areas an extra coat and to prevent light passing through from the back of the material it is often necessary to finally Drint over all an opaque colour to block off this light The following example in the use of the invention relates to producing panels for signs which can be viewed from either side.

Fig.A is a clear sheet of Rigid PVC (1).

In practical trials imm thick Rigid Clear PVC sheet measuring 520mm x 72mm for a finished panel size 500mm x 700mm has been found satisfactory.

The image printed in the example is the letter 'K'(2) printed on the sheet in reverse also known as 'Mirror Image'printing.

Usually the final printing process would be to print the background colour indicated by the hroken line (3).

Tn the example the printing is shown stopping short of the edges of the sheet to facilitate printing as any 'bleeding off' of the print required is achieved when the sheet is trimmed hy the Radio Frequency Welding & Cutting (RF Welding) of the periphery In the example the printed area wield thn he Elm x 'lfl.mm whinh allows an all around Smm printed blued giving a finished panel sis of 500mm x 700mm.

Fig B illustrates 2 printed clear PVc sheets (4 & 5) printed as described at FIG.A.

The printed mirror images face each other so that when sandwiched together the copy 'K'(2) on each sheet when viewed from unprinted side would read the right way around.

Between the 2 sheets of printed clear PVC (4 & 5) is p]aced a sheet of totally opaque double sided metalised or metallic reflective sheet material (6) such as Aluminium oil or card material coated on both sides with reflective foil which have the property of being totally opaque with advantageously reflective siirfaces. Tn this example the size of this sheet (6) world be 4qOmm y 690mm which is Smm less all ground than the finished panel with 2 't1' cut outs to accommodate the space required for welding around the hanging holes (8).

With the process described it has been found that there is no necessity for additional coats of ink for the purpose of strengthening colours or to stop light from passing through the face of one panel to the other as the reflective sheet (6) sandwiched between the printed sheets is totally opaque.

For example sunlight on the face of panel (48 will not project through to panel (5) and thus spoil viewing the printed image on that side.

Adersntageously light passing through the front of the printed panel on to the reflective sheet (6! is reflected back through the printing which has been clearly observed to improve the opacity and brilliance of solid colours and add brilliance to transparent colours.

The final step towards producing a rigid hermetically sealed virtually one piece panel is to sandwich together the three components (4) (6! and (5) and weld the periphery with an RF Welded seam (7) to the size and shape required which in this example is 500mm x 700mm.

At the same time any holes (80 needed for hanving the panel can be RF cut into the sandwich and their peripheries sealed.

Clearly the inside of the 'sandwich' ipn1l3ding the printed surfaces will be sealed against the ingress of moisture any other pollutants By common practise after RF welding the surplus material around the periphery and in any holes cut by this method of welding are easily stripped away by virtue of the profile of the F welding tool which welds and seals on one edge of the tool and cuts through the material on the other edge.

Provided the ink used is vinyl or similarly based with no electrically conductive material content the RF welded seams can be made through the printed areas Where inks containing electrically conductive material are used the printing mst stop short of the edges of the panel similarly the area covered by the reflective material (6) such as aluminium foil must also stop short of the welded and cut seam and also any holes to be seamed and t as RF welding is pot possible through materials containing electrically conductive materials.

The completed panel may then be fixed into a frame or 'swing hung' in a suitable frame (FTG CO for viewing from either side.

Claims (5)

1The use of a sheet of double sided totally opaque reflective material such as Aluminium Foil or double sided metallised coated card as a light barrier when sandwiched between

2 sheets of clear material which have been printed in reverse or mirror image with the printed sides facing each other 2 The use of a sheet of a double sided opaque reflective material such as Aluminium Foil or metallised coated card to enhance printed colours by improving the opacity and brilliance of solid colours and the brilliance of translucent colours when sandwiched between 2 sheets of clear material which have been printed in reverse or mirror image with the printed surfaces facing each other.

3 The use of a sheet of double sided opaque reflective material such as Aluminium Foil or metallised coated card to enhance printed colours when sandwiched between 2 sheets of clear material which have been tinted in reverse or mirror image with the printed surfaces facing each other and tn thus obviate the sometimes necessity of printing extra coats to increase to opacity of a colour

4 A Sign panel or alike comprising 2 sheets nf nlear P.icid PVC printed in mirror image with the printed surfaces facing back to hack with a sheet of totally opaque reflective material such as Aluminium Foi3 or metal 1 ised coated card sandwiched between the printed areas of the clear sheets with the periphery outside the area covered by the reflective sheet RF welded with the surplus periphery stripped away to form a hermetically sealed virtually one piece panel.

5. A Sin Panel or alike with any or all of the fears claimed in claims 1, 2 3 or 4