Packaging material with concealed plate breaks
AssigneePrintpack Illinois, Inc.
InventorsStephen Jay Balschi, III, David Welch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a method of printing a product, a plate gap can be at least partially concealed, and the presence of any trap lines can be minimized. The background of each impression can be printed to include a gradient region along the leading and trailing edges of the background adjacent to the plate gap. An overprint ink/layer can be printed over the plate gap and at least a portion of the background gradient regions. The overprint ink/layer can be printed to include gradient regions along the leading and trailing edges of the overprint. The overlapping gradient regions of the background and of the overprint soften or obscure the appearance of any trap lines that would otherwise be more prominent in the overlapping areas.
Claims16
A method of printing a packaging material, the method comprising:
- printing, with a first plate, a first impression on a substrate so that a gradient edge region of the first impression extends along an edge of the first impression, and the gradient edge region of the first impression is positioned between the edge of the first impression and a medial region of the first impression;
- and
- printing, with a second plate, a second impression on the substrate so that a gradient edge region of the second impression extends along an edge of the second impression, and the gradient edge region of the second impression is positioned between the edge of the second impression and a medial region of the second impression,
- wherein the printing of the first impression with the first plate and the printing of the second impression with the second plate are cooperatively performed so that an overlap area comprises an overlapping or underlapping relationship between at least a portion of the gradient edge region of the first impression and at least a portion of the gradient edge region of the second impression,
- wherein the printing of the first impression with the first plate is comprised of increasing coverage of ink of the gradient edge region of the first impression in a first direction extending from the edge of the first impression toward the medial region of the first impression, so that within the overlap area the coverage of the ink of the gradient edge region of the first impression increases in the first direction,
- wherein the printing of the second impression with the second plate is comprised of increasing coverage of ink of the gradient edge region of the second impression in a second direction extending from the edge of the second impression toward the medial region of the second impression, so that within the overlap area the coverage of the ink of the gradient edge region of the second impression increases in the second direction, and
- wherein the printing of the first impression with the first plate and the printing of the second impression with the second plate are cooperatively performed so that:
- the overlap area is positioned between the medial region of the first impression and the medial region of the second impression,
- within the overlap area both (i) the coverage of the ink of the gradient edge region of the first impression increases in the first direction and (ii) the coverage of the ink of the gradient edge region of the second impression increases in the second direction, and
- the second direction is different from the first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.