Laser cutting of printed labels

#The invention relates to the field of printing systems, structures, and associated processes. More particularly, the invention relates to laser cutting of labels.

#Manufacturers today can label goods, such as food products, car parts, etc., with adhesive labels. In one example, the labels are applied to the goods on a manufacturing line by a labeling machine, which uses large rolls of labels. The label rolls of this example are made of pressure sensitive label stock that is constructed of three layers, a top layer, an adhesive layer, and a base layer. The top layer, upon which the label is printed, is referred to as face stock. The face stock is removably adhered to the base layer, which is referred to as the liner, using the adhesive. Because the face stock is removably adhered to the liner, the face stock and the underlying adhesive can be peeled off of the liner and applied to the good.

#Before being shipped to the manufacturer, the large rolls of labels of this example are prepared for use by a label provider. The label provider applies the label image to the face stock, such as by digitally printing the label on the face stock. The label stock is then cut so that the labels can be peeled off of the liner. Using a cutting process that cuts through the face stock and the adhesive, but not the liner, such as a kiss cut process, the label stock is cut so that a label of the desired shape can be peeled off of the liner. The portion of the face stock that does not include the label image, referred to as the matrix, is then peeled off so that only the labels are adhered to the liner. The liner stock, with the labels now ready to be removed from the liner and applied to the manufacturer's goods, is then rolled into large rolls and delivered to the manufacturer.

#Embodiments of the present invention will be described and explained through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 is an illustration of a cross-section of label stock that includes a printed image, consistent with various embodiments;

#FIG. 2 is an illustration of a cross-section of label stock after laser cutting, consistent with various embodiments;

#FIG. 1 is an illustration of a cross-section of label stock that includes a printed image, consistent with various embodiments. Cross-section 100 shows a cross-section of label stock 112, which includes liner 102, adhesive 106, and face stock 104. Face stock 104 has been removably applied to liner 102 by using adhesive 106 to adhere face stock 104 to liner 102. Label image 110, made from multiple colors of ink applied to face stock 104 at pixels 108 by a label printer, has been printed on a surface of face stock 104.

#In the example of FIG. 1, label image 110 was printed with a digital printer, such as an ink jet printer. An image to be printed with a digital printer is a map of dots, each dot being referred to as a pixel, with x and y coordinates for each dot. The digital representation of the pixels can be generated during a process referred to as rasterization, and can be stored in a file, referred to as a raster file. Pixels 108 represents a several of the pixels from the pixel file after being printed, where they become dots of ink that, together, create label image 110. If all of the dots are in the correct position on face stock 104, and the correct amount of each color of ink is accurately applied at each dot location by the ink jet printer, the expected quality is achieved.

#A computer system can create the raster file for the label printer. For example, in a process referred to as rasterization or ripping, the computer system reads in an image file containing an image of the label. When not already broken into pixels, the computer system can digitally break the electronic image into individual pixels. The computer system can analyze the color and size of each pixel, determine a quantity of each of the colored inks of the label printer that are needed to print the pixel, and write the determined information to the raster file.