US 2026/0233545 A1 · DECORATED ARTICLE WITH SURFACE AREAS HAVING DIFFERENT GLOSS LEVEL

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an improved decorated article, comprising: (a) preparing a decorative image layer in digital format comprising: i. preparing a decorative image layer comprising a first image area defining a matrix portion, and at least one second image area, each second image area defining a discrete decorative element, the first image area and each second image area together defining a finite image area; ii. creating a first digital selection layer, and defining a first selected portion corresponding to the first image area of decorative image layer; iii. creating at least one second digital selection layer and defining at least one second selected portion, each second selection portion corresponding to a discrete decorative element in decorative image layer, and together corresponding to the second area of decorative image layer; wherein the first area of the first digital layer and the second area of the second digital layer together correspond to the finite area of the digital decorative image layer; (b) providing a prepared substrate comprising at least a first major face, (c) digitally printing the decorative image layer to at least a portion of the first major face; (d) using first selected portion of first digital selection layer 160 to direct application of a first clear coating composition onto prepared substrate, superimposed on and corresponding to, the first area, and curing the first clear coating to a first gloss level; and (e) using each second portion of the at least one second digital selection layer to apply a second clear coating composition onto prepared substrate, superimposed on and corresponding to, the second area, and curing the second clear coating to a second gloss level.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing an improved decorated article, comprising:

(a) preparing a decorative image in digital format comprising:
i. preparing a decorative image layer comprising a first image area defining a matrix portion, and at least one second image area, each second image area defining a discrete decorative element, the first image area and each second image area together defining a finite image area;
ii. creating a first digital selection layer, and defining a first selected portion corresponding to the first image area of the decorative image layer;
and
iii. creating at least one second digital selection layer and defining at least one second selected portion, each second selected portion corresponding to the discrete decorative element in the decorative image layer, and together corresponding to the second image area of the decorative image layer;
wherein the first selected portion of the first digital selection layer and the second selected portion of the second digital selection layer together correspond to the finite image area of the decorative image layer;
(b) providing a prepared substrate comprising at least a first major face,
(c) digitally printing the decorative image layer to at least a portion of the first major face;
(d) using the first selected portion of the first digital selection layer to direct application of a first clear coating layer onto the prepared substrate, superimposed on and corresponding to, the first image area, and curing the first clear coating layer to a first gloss level;
and
(e) using each second selected portion of the at least one second digital selection layer to apply a second clear coating layer onto the prepared substrate, superimposed on and corresponding to, the second image area, and curing the second clear coating layer to a second gloss level.

8 more elements

An improved decorated article comprising:

(a) a prepared substrate comprising at least a first major face;
(b) a decorative image layer applied to at least a portion of the first major face, the decorative image layer comprising a first image area and at least one second image area;
(c) a first digital selection layer and at least one second digital selection layer;
(d) a first clear coating layer applied to the first image area and cured to a first gloss level;
and
(e) at least one second clear coating layer applied to at least one discrete location on the at least one second image area of the decorative image layer and cured to a second gloss level, characterized in that the first clear coating layer is applied to a location defined by a first selected portion of the first digital selection layer and the second clear coating layer is applied to at least one discrete location, each discrete location defined by a second selected portion of the at least one second digital selection layer, and each second clear coating layer is superimposed over a respective corresponding second image area;
wherein when the improved decorated article is viewed under natural or artificial light, incident light partially penetrates both second clear coating layer and the first clear coating layer and is reflected off the at least one second image area of the decorative image layer, and incident light is partially reflected from the second clear coating layer, the combined reflected light providing a decorative effect to visually distinguish the at least one second image area from the remainder of decorative image.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Decorated article with surface areas having different gloss level

Life of this patent

Decorated article with surface areas having different gloss level

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27