JP5541105B2 - Printing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing method, and more specifically, a printed material on which a pattern corresponding to a decorated molded body is printed, which is used to form a molded body whose surface is decorated by embossing. It is a printing method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique for forming a molded body with a surface decorated by deforming a sheet-like printed matter on which a design is printed is known. For example, it is possible to form a molded product along the shape of the mold by heating and softening a printed product on which a design is printed on a resin base and sandwiching the printed material between a pair of molds. The surface of such a molded product is decorated based on the design of the original printed product. In addition, as shown in Patent Document 1, a printed material is enclosed in a mold during injection molding, and the printed material is attached to the surface of the three-dimensional object at the same time as the three-dimensional object is formed by injection molding. Decorating technology is known.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-122976

  By the way, in the forming method of deforming a printed material on which a pattern is printed in a planar manner, the substrate of the printed material or the coating film of the ink applied to the surface of the substrate is deformed and stretched. Specifically, in a molded product formed so as to rise from the printed product in the normal direction of the printed product, the side wall of the molded product is formed by extending the printed product in the normal direction of the printed product, so that the coating film is thinned.

  In the part where the coating film is thinned in the molded product, the appearance of the coating film changes before and after stretching, and the designed color on the side wall may not be reproduced. For example, even if the side wall of the molded product is designed to have the same color as the top surface of the molded product that is continuous with the side wall, the appearance of the side wall and the top surface changes if the appearance changes as the coating film is stretched. Differ, and the desired decoration cannot be performed.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and for a printed material used to form a molded body whose surface is decorated by embossing, for example, a side wall portion of the molded body, An object of the present invention is to provide a printing method for a printed matter that can be formed into a molded body having a high-quality appearance without changing the appearance in a portion that is stretched during molding.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the printing method of the present invention is a printing method for performing printing by attaching a paint to a sheet-like workpiece on which convex protrusions are formed by embossing. In the workpiece, in a plan view, a contour position corresponding to the contour of the convex portion, and a separation position separated from the contour position toward the outside of the contour by a distance corresponding to the height dimension of the convex portion. Printed on the workpiece with the data corrected in a direction to increase the amount of the paint used for printing by the number of pixels obtained by multiplying the print resolution by the height of the convex portion among the print data for the area between It is characterized by performing.

  According to this method, the amount of paint can be increased by the number of pixels obtained by multiplying the printing resolution by the height of the convex portion in the region between the contour position and the separation position. For this reason, a coating film can be thickened by selectively applying a large amount of paint to a portion that is stretched by deformation when forming the convex portion. Therefore, even when a convex part is formed on a sheet-like workpiece, the appearance does not change, and a printed matter that can be a convex part having a high-quality appearance can be printed.

  In the printing method, the printing is performed by applying the paint to the workpiece by a droplet discharge method, and the print data defines a pixel which is a discharge position of the paint used for printing and a discharge amount of the paint. It is preferably bitmap data.

  According to this method, in the printing by the droplet discharge method, even when a convex portion is formed on a sheet-like workpiece, a printed matter that can be formed into a convex portion having a high-quality appearance without changing the appearance. can do.

The figure explaining the process of shape | molding a molded object using the printed matter in this embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing each process in the printing method according to the present embodiment. The figure explaining the plane image in this embodiment. The figure explaining the superimposition grating | lattice in this embodiment. The figure explaining the height dimension of the molded object in this embodiment. The figure explaining the correction | amendment permission area | region in this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining print data in the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining correction of print data in the present embodiment. The figure explaining the printing in this embodiment.

  Hereinafter, a printing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In all the drawings below, the dimensions and ratios of the constituent elements are appropriately changed in order to make the drawings easy to see.

  The printed matter to be printed by the printing method of the present invention is specifically a design in which a coating is applied to a resin substrate and a pattern is printed. Typically, the printed matter is deformed by press molding and the surface is decorated. Used to form a molded body. In the following explanation, first, in FIG. 1, after explaining the molding process for obtaining a molded body using the printed matter printed by the printing method of the present invention, the printing method of the present invention will be explained using FIGS. To do.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a process of molding a molded body. As shown in the figure, the printed matter 1 obtained by the printing method of the present invention was softened by heating (FIG. 1 (a)), and was softened by a pair of molds having a convex mold 2 and a concave mold (not shown). It is deformed by press work sandwiching the printed material 1 (FIG. 1 (b)), and unnecessary parts are removed (trimmed), thereby forming a molded body 3 to which the shape of the mold is transferred (FIG. 1 (c)). . Here, it is assumed that the molded body 3 has a shape in which a columnar convex portion 11 is provided on the upper surface of a rectangular parallelepiped base 10.

  When performing such forming, the side wall 11a of the convex portion 11 in the formed body 3 shown in the figure is formed by extending the original printed matter 1 in the normal direction of the printed matter 1. Therefore, the coating film on the surface of the printed matter 1 is also stretched and thinned. In that case, there is a possibility that the color of the side wall 11a does not reproduce the color of the corresponding part in the printed matter 1 and the desired decoration cannot be performed.

  Therefore, in the printing method of the present invention described below, even if the coating film corresponding to the side wall is thickened in the printed matter to be obtained and the coating film is thinned by deformation, the change in appearance is suppressed.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing each process in the printing method of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 to 9 are explanatory diagrams of each process in the printing method. In the following description, the printing method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, three-dimensional data (also referred to as 3D data) indicating the three-dimensional shape of the molded body 3 shown in FIG. 1 is measured (step S1).
As for the three-dimensional data of the molded body 3, a clay model of the molded body 3 can be created using a non-contact camera photographing type three-dimensional measuring instrument, a contact type three-dimensional measuring instrument, or the like. Alternatively, the original data when creating the convex mold 2 shown in FIG. 1 may be used as the three-dimensional data of the molded body 3.

Next, in step S2, the planar image 5 of the molded body 3 is divided by a grid having a prescribed size. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3A, the three-dimensional data indicating the three-dimensional shape of the molded body 3 is projected onto the planar image 5 observed from the upper surface. Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, the planar image 5 is divided by a grid having a prescribed lattice size. In the present embodiment, the size of the grid is made the same as the discharge resolution for convenience.
Here, the predetermined direction in the horizontal plane is the X-axis direction, the direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction in the horizontal plane is the Y-axis direction, and the direction orthogonal to each of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction (that is, the vertical direction) is the Z-axis direction. XYZ rectangular coordinate system is set.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4, in the planar image 5 divided by the grid, a lattice on which the outline 6 of the molded body 3 overlaps is extracted as a superposed lattice 7 (step S <b> 3). In the present embodiment, a plurality of overlapping grids 7 are extracted.

Next, in step S4, the number of grids (number of pixels) corresponding to the height dimension of the molded body 3 is calculated. The number of grids (number of pixels) corresponding to the height dimension of the molded body 3 can be calculated by multiplying the height dimension of the molded body 3 by the printing resolution. Examples of the resolution unit include dpi (dot per inch).
Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the height dimension of the molded body 3 is h. In step S4, the number of grids (number of pixels) corresponding to the height dimension of the molded body 3 is calculated by multiplying the height dimension h of the molded body 3 by the resolution. At this time, the number of grids (number of pixels) corresponding to the height dimension of the molded body 3 is A.

  Next, in step S5, as shown in FIG. 6, a position that is A apart from the arbitrary superposed grating 7 toward the outside of the contour 6 is determined as a separation position 8. Then, an area from the superposition grid 7 to the separation position 8 is defined as a correction permission area 9. The correction permission area 9 is an area where correction of print data, which will be described later, is permitted.

Next, in step S6, the print data is corrected.
In this embodiment, bitmap data BD is employed as print data. In the bitmap data BD, as shown in FIG. 7, the size of dots to be printed is described in a bitmap form on the grid to be printed. In the present embodiment, data indicating the sizes of three types of dots S, M, and L is employed. In this embodiment, the grid that is not printed is blank. In data indicating the sizes of the three types of dots, the L dot is the largest, the M dot is smaller than the L dot, and the S dot is smaller than the M dot.
In the following description, a blank designating a grid not to be printed is referred to as blank data. Further, data designating L dots is called L dot data, data designating M dots is called M dot data, and data designating S dots is called S dot data.

In step S6, the bitmap data existing in the correction permission area 9 is corrected.
The procedure and process for correcting the print data are described below.
(1) Correction is performed in a direction away from the superposition grating 7 along the X direction. First, as shown in FIG. 8A, blank data is replaced with S dot data for a blank grid. Hereinafter, the replacement processing from blank data to S dot data is referred to as S dot replacement processing. In FIG. 8A, data with the S dot replacement process is marked with a circle.
In the S dot replacement process, the process is performed while counting the number of grids on which the S dot replacement process has been performed. Then, when this count value reaches A, which is the value of the number of grids (number of pixels) corresponding to the height dimension of the molded body 3, the correction of the print data is finished. On the other hand, when the count value is less than A, the process proceeds to the next process.

(2) When the S dot replacement process for the correction permission area 9 is completed, the process returns to the superposition grid 7.
(3) Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, the S dot data is replaced with M dot data for the grid in which S dots are indicated in the correction permission area 9. Hereinafter, the replacement processing from S dot data to M dot data is referred to as M dot replacement processing. In FIG. 8B, the ◇ mark is attached to the data on which the M dot replacement process has been performed. The M dot replacement process is also performed in a direction away from the superposition grating 7 along the X direction.
In the M dot replacement process, the process is performed while counting the number of grids on which the M dot replacement process has been performed. In the count in the M dot replacement process, the count value in the S dot replacement process is taken over. That is, the count value in the M dot replacement process is obtained by adding the count value in the M dot replacement process to the count value in the S dot replacement process.
Then, when this count value reaches A, which is the value of the number of grids (number of pixels) corresponding to the height dimension of the molded body 3, the correction of the print data is finished. On the other hand, when the count value is less than A, the process proceeds to the next process.

(4) When the M dot replacement process for the correction permission area 9 is completed, the process returns to the superposition grid 7.
(5) Next, as shown in FIG. 8C, the M dot data is replaced with L dot data for the grid in which M dots are designated in the correction permission area 9. Hereinafter, the replacement processing from M dot data to L dot data is referred to as L dot replacement processing. In FIG. 8C, the Δ mark is attached to the data that has been subjected to the L dot replacement process. The L dot replacement process is also performed in a direction away from the superposition grid 7 along the X direction.
In the L dot replacement process, the process is performed while counting the number of grids on which the L dot replacement process has been performed. In the count in the L dot replacement process, the count value in the M dot replacement process is taken over. That is, the count value in the L dot replacement process is obtained by adding the count value in the L dot replacement process to the count value in the M dot replacement process.
Then, when this count value reaches A, which is the value of the number of grids (number of pixels) corresponding to the height dimension of the molded body 3, the correction of the print data is finished. On the other hand, when the count value is less than A, the process proceeds to the above (1).
(6) Thereafter, the processes of (1) to (5) are repeated until the count value reaches A, which is the value of the number of grids (number of pixels) corresponding to the height dimension of the molded body 3.

In step S6, the correction of the print data is performed on all the superposed grids 7 by performing the processes (1) to (6). As a result, the S dot replacement process, the M dot replacement process, and the L dot replacement process are respectively performed as processes along the X direction for all the superposed grids 7.
Furthermore, for all the superposed grids 7, in the processes (1) to (6), the S dot replacement process, the M dot replacement process, and the L dot replacement process may be performed along the Y direction. carry out. As a result, the S dot replacement process, the M dot replacement process, and the L dot replacement process are performed on one superimposed grid 7 as processes along the X direction and the Y direction, respectively. In the process along the Y direction, the correction permission area 9 may be determined along the Y direction.

Subsequent to step S6, in step S7, a design is printed on a resin substrate based on the corrected print data.
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a state of printing. As shown in FIG. 9, ink is ejected from the droplet ejection head IJ to the substrate 4 based on the print data (bitmap data BD), and the target printed matter 1 (FIG. 1) is printed.
A technique for ejecting a liquid material such as ink from the droplet ejection head IJ as droplets is called an inkjet technique. A method of arranging a liquid material such as ink at a predetermined position by using an ink jet technique is called a droplet discharge method or an ink jet method. These droplet discharge method and ink jet method are one of coating methods.
As described above, the target printed matter 1 can be obtained by the printing method of the present embodiment.
In the present embodiment, the ink corresponds to the paint, the base 4 corresponds to the workpiece, and the superposed grid 7 corresponds to the contour position.

  According to the printing method having the above-described configuration, a large amount of ink is selectively applied to a portion of the printed matter 1 that is stretched due to deformation when the molded body 3 is formed to thicken the coating film. be able to. Therefore, even when the molded body 3 is formed, the printed matter 1 can be printed without changing the appearance and capable of forming the molded body 3 having a high quality appearance.

In the present embodiment, the hollow molded body 3 is formed by pressing with a pair of molds. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and by using a resin having a convex shape instead of a convex shape, The molded body 3 can be attached to the resin surface to provide a molded body with a decorated surface.
In this embodiment, the droplet discharge method is employed as the printing method, but the printing method is not limited to this. As a printing method, for example, an electrophotographic method or another printing method may be employed. In the electrophotographic system, the toner corresponds to the paint.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. Various shapes, combinations, and the like of the constituent members shown in the above-described examples are examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printed material, 3 ... Molded object, 4 ... Base | substrate, 5 ... Planar image, 6 ... Contour, 7 ... Overlapping grid, 8 ... Separation position, 9 ... Correction permission area, 10 ... Base, 11 ... Convex part, 11a ... Side wall, BD: Bitmap data (print data).

Claims (2)

  A printing method for performing printing by attaching a paint to a sheet-like workpiece on which convex projections are formed by embossing, and corresponds to the contour of the projections in plan view in the sheet-like workpiece Out of print data for a region between the contour position to be separated and a separated position away from the contour position toward the outside of the contour by a distance corresponding to the height dimension of the convex portion. A printing method, wherein printing is performed on the workpiece while correcting data in a direction to increase the amount of the paint used for printing by the number of pixels obtained by multiplying the height dimension of the portion. The printing is performed by applying the paint to the workpiece by a droplet discharge method,
The print data is bitmap data that defines a pixel that is a discharge position of the paint used for printing and a discharge amount of the paint.
The printing method according to claim 1.

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