Photopolymeric Craft Stamp Indexing Images and Method of Making
An indexing image for craft stamps that is opaque to the eye but transparent to UV light is produced by printing a wavelength-specific solvent-based ink on the stamp substrate. This eliminates the step of printing a separate adhesive-backed indexing image sheet and applying it to the substrate.
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This application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/902,301 filed Feb. 19, 2013, which is the nonprovisional of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/816,366 filed Apr. 26, 2013. Also pertinent to the present invention are U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/027,760 filed September 16, 2013 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/176,110 filed Feb. 9, 2014. These applications are owned in common and have one inventor in common, and are incorporated into the present application in their entirety.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.
NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENTNot applicable.
REFERENCE TO A BIOLOGICAL SEQUENCE LISTINGNot applicable.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of printing, more specifically in the field of manufacturing craft stamps, and still more specifically in the field of making craft stamp pads using photopolymer plates.
2. Description of the Related Art
Photopolymer craft stamps of a certain theme or style are typically imaged in photopolymer on a clear substrate using standard techniques—a UV-opaque mask image sheet being placed on top of the substrate and a UV-opaque relief image sheet below—and they are sold right on the substrate. An additional thermally-printed indexing image sheet is manually glued to the substrate so that the consumer can see what the stamp images will look like. The consumer peels a particular stamp off the substrate and sticks it to a clear acrylic block for use, then puts it back on the substrate when done.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention does away with the additional indexing image sheet by printing the indexing image in UV-transparent but optically opaque ink right on the substrate. Because it is UV transparent, this visible image does not interfere with development of the mask image in the photopolymer.
A cluster of craft stamps of a certain theme or style are typically produced together on one sheet of substrate from a photopolymeric procedure. The stamps have a clear, thin backing sheet upon which an island plate (or “I-plate”) has been developed. Each stamp is a relief image supported by a island image floor which acts as a webbing to hold together thin elements of the relief. Once developed, the cluster of stamps are sold right on the substrate. Referring now to the drawings, which are not to scale, and in which like reference characters refer to like elements among the drawings,
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- (a) Print the stamp floor (masking) images 81 on a clear masking film 100;
- (b) Print the stamp relief images 130 on a clear relief image film 131;
- (c) Print the stamp images 101 on a clear indexing image sheet 102 (see
FIG. 2 ); - (d) Apply a layer of adhesive (not visible in this view) to the underside of the indexing image sheet 102;
- (e) Place the relief image film 131 with the relief images 130 on the bottom glass 24 of the UV exposure unit (preferably, but not essentially, with the image side facing up);
- (f) Optionally cover the relief image film 131 with a protective cover film (not shown);
- (g) Optionally pull a vacuum in lower vacuum grooves 34 to remove air from under image film 131;
- (h) Cast a layer of liquid photopolymer 43 adjacent to the relief image film 131 (employing dams 42 if necessary);
- (i) Place a clear substrate 150 in contact with the upper surface of the liquid photopolymer layer 43;
- (j) Place the printed masking film 100 on top of the clear substrate 150 (registering the mask image properly with respect to the relief image);
- (k) Optionally pull a vacuum in upper vacuum grooves 28 to remove air from between upper glass 26, masking film 100, and substrate 150;
- (l) Shine polymerizing light 52 through the masking film 100 for an amount of time suitable to form polymerized floor images 54 of a desired thickness in the liquid photopolymer;
- (m) Shine polymerizing light 25 through the relief images 130 for an amount of time suitable to form polymerized relief images 210 in the liquid photopolymer between the polymerized floor images 54 and the relief images 130;
- (n) (Not shown) Remove the above layers from the exposure unit and perform post-exposure treatment; and
- (o) (Not shown) Glue the indexing image sheet 102 to the clear substrate 150 (registering it properly with respect to the relief image).
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- (a) Print the masking images 81 on a masking film 100;
- (b) Print the stamp relief images 130 on a relief image film 131;
- (c) Print an indexing image 400 on a substrate 150;
- (d) Place the relief image film 131 on the bottom glass 24 of the UV exposure unit;
- (e) Optionally cover the relief image film 131 with a protective film (not shown);
- (f) Pull a vacuum in lower vacuum grooves 34 to remove air from under image film 131;
- (g) Cast a layer of liquid photopolymer 43 adjacent to the relief image film 131;
- (h) Place the clear substrate 150 in contact with the upper surface of the liquid photopolymer layer 43;
- (i) Place the printed masking film 100 on top of the clear substrate 150;
- (j) Lower the lid on the UV exposure unit and optionally pull a vacuum in upper vacuum grooves 28 to remove air from between upper glass 26, masking film 100, and substrate 150;
- (k) Shine polymerizing radiation 52 through the masking film 100 for an amount of time suitable to form polymerized floor images 54 of a desired thickness in the liquid photopolymer;
- (l) Shine polymerizing radiation 25 through the relief images 130 for an amount of time suitable to form polymerized relief images 210 in the liquid photopolymer between the polymerized floor images 54 and the relief images 130;
- (m) Remove the above materials from the exposure unit;
- (n) Remove the masking film 100 and the relief image film 131 from the materials; and
- (o) Clean the polymerized material and substrate 150.
In this description of the invention, inkjet printers are mentioned because they have been used by the inventor to generate the desired high-definition images with solvent-based inks. However, any printer 145 capable of printing images of sufficient quality using solvent-based inks is within the scope of this invention without limitation.
Claims
1. A craft stamp indexing image, comprising:
- an actinic radiation-transmitting substrate; and
- ink applied to the substrate; the ink being that does not transmit visible wavelengths of light and does transmit radiation that cures photopolymers.
2. The image of claim 1, wherein:
- said ink is solvent-based; and
- said substrate is compatible with said ink.
3. The image of claim 2, wherein:
- said substrate comprises a plastic taken from the list of:
- (a) vinyl-based plastic;
- (b) polyester.
4. The image of claim 3, wherein:
- said vinyl-based plastic is taken from the list of:
- polyvinylethylene; and
- polyvinyl chloride.
5. The image of claim 4, wherein:
- said ink comprises visible light blockers.
6. The image of claim 5, wherein:
- said visible wavelengths are between about 390 nm and 700 nm.
7. A method for making a craft stamp, comprising the steps of:
- (a) print masking images on a masking film;
- (b) print stamp relief images on a relief image film;
- (c) print an indexing image on a compatible substrate;
- (d) place the relief image film on the bottom glass of a UV exposure unit;
- (e) optionally cover the relief image film with a protective film;
- (f) optionally pull a vacuum under the relief image film;
- (g) cast a layer of liquid photopolymer on top of the relief image film;
- (h) place the substrate in contact with the upper surface of the liquid photopolymer layer;
- (i) place the masking film on top of the substrate;
- (j) lower the lid on the UV exposure unit and optionally pull a vacuum on the masking film and substrate;
- (k) shine polymerizing radiation through the masking film for an amount of time suitable to form polymerized floor images of a desired thickness in the liquid photopolymer;
- (l) shine polymerizing radiation through the relief images for an amount of time suitable to form polymerized relief images in the liquid photopolymer between the polymerized floor images and the relief images;
- (m) remove the above materials from the exposure unit;
- (n) remove the masking film and the relief image film from the materials; and
- (o) clean the polymerized material and substrate.
8. The method of claim 7, in which:
- step (c) is: print an indexing image with an inkjet printer using a UV-transmitting and visible light-opaque ink on the substrate, the substrate comprising vinyl-based polymeric material.
9. The method of claim 7, in which:
- step (c) is: print an indexing image with an inkjet printer using a UV-transmitting and visible light-opaque ink on the substrate, the substrate comprising polyvinylethylene.
10. The method of claim 7, in which:
- step (c) is: print an indexing image with an inkjet printer using a UV-transmitting and visible light-opaque ink on the substrate, the substrate comprising polyvinyl chloride.
11. The method of claim 7, in which:
- step (c) is: print an indexing image with an inkjet printer using a UV-transmitting and visible light-opaque ink on the substrate, the substrate comprising polyester.
12. A craft stamp indexing image, comprising:
- an actinic radiation-transmitting substrate; the substrate comprising solvent ink-printable polymers;
- ink applied to the substrate; the ink being solvent-based; opaque to visible wavelengths of light; and able to transmit radiation that cures photopolymers.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 13, 2014
Publication Date: Oct 30, 2014
Applicant: CHEMENCE, INC. (Alpharetta, GA)
Inventor: John P. MANEIRA (Alpharetta, GA)
Application Number: 14/179,634
International Classification: G03F 7/20 (20060101); B41K 1/02 (20060101);