Abstract:
Method of producing multi-dimensional print media, comprising the following steps: Providing a substantially flat sheet of print media. Providing an image for printing on a first side of the sheet; the image including an active area that eventually separates from the rest of the sheet; the active area being bounded by a periphery. Performing one or both of cutting and microperfing a substantial portion of the periphery that adjoins an adjacent portion of the sheet. Scoring the first side of the sheet in the active area to provide at least one fold line for facilitating folding of the sheet into a multi-dimensional shape using only the at least one fold line for folding. Printing the image on the first side of the sheet with a printing device. The foregoing performing step is carried out in such manner as to keep the sheet sufficiently intact while passing through a printing device so as to prevent malfunction of the printing device. Die-pressed print media is also provided for use in the method.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a method of method of producing customizable, multi-dimensional print media and to die-pressed print media that can be used in the method.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    A traditional method to create multi-dimensional print media includes the following three steps performed in sequence. First, one prints an image on a flat sheet of print media, such as paper or card stock. Second, using a die pattern for the print media, one then die cuts and scores (“die presses”) the already printed sheet. Third, various segments are removed from the sheet and folded to create multi-dimensional print media.  
           [0003]    A drawback of the traditional method is that the print image is fixed for an entire production run. This makes the per-piece cost for small production runs too costly for many potential users. It would be desirable to provide a method to create multi-dimensional print media that considerably reduces the per-piece cost for small production runs, and to provide die-pressed print media that can be used in the method.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    An exemplary embodiment of the invention provides a method of producing multi-dimensional print media, comprising the following steps: Providing a substantially flat sheet of print media. Providing an image for printing on a first side of the sheet; the image including an active area that eventually separates from the rest of the sheet; the active area being bounded by a periphery. Performing one or both of cutting and microperfing a substantial portion of the periphery that adjoins an adjacent portion of the sheet. Scoring the first side of the sheet in the active area to provide at least one fold line for facilitating folding of the sheet into a multi-dimensional shape using only the at least one fold line for folding. Printing the image on the first side of the sheet with a printing device. The foregoing performing step is carried out in such manner as to keep the sheet sufficiently intact while passing through a printing device so as to prevent malfunction of the printing device.  
           [0005]    Another embodiment of the invention provides a substantially flat sheet of print media. The sheet includes an active area that may be separated from the rest of the sheet, the active area being bounded by a periphery. A substantial portion of the periphery is one of both cut and microperfed in such manner as to adequately hold the active region to the rest of the sheet to such a degree that the sheet can be passed through an appropriate device for printing intended indicia on the sheet without causing malfunction of such device. The sheet includes at least one score line in the active region for providing at least one fold line to facilitate folding of the sheet into a multi-dimensional shape using only the at least one fold line for folding.  
           [0006]    The foregoing method creates multi-dimensional print media with considerably reduced per-piece cost for small production runs, and the foregoing die-pressed print media that can be used in the method. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of multi-dimensional print media that can be made according to the present invention.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an unprinted sheet of print media that can be used to form the multi-dimensional print medium of FIG. 1.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view of a multiperfing diehead that may be used in producing the sheet of FIG. 2.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 4 shows a fragmentary portion of a segment of the sheet of FIG. 2 after a print image has been applied to it.  
         [0011]    FIGS.  5 - 6  are plan views of a fragmentary portion of a sheet of print media having features for aligning a print image onto the sheet.  
         [0012]    FIGS.  7 - 8  are perspective views of a fragmentary portion of a sheet of print media having different features for aligning a print image onto the sheet.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 9 is a cross section of an enlarged, fragmentary portion of a sheet of print media after undergoing a scoring operation.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 10 is a top plan view of an unprinted sheet of print media that can be used to form another multi-dimensional print medium.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a multi-dimensional print medium that can be made from the sheet of FIG. 10.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 12 is a side view of the sheet of FIG. 10, showing a sheet of print media in simplified, and greatly enlarged, form.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 13 is a plan view of a fragmentary portion of a multi-dimensional print medium that can be produced according to the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 14 is similar to FIG. 13 but shows another image that can easily replace the image shown in FIG. 13.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 15 is a plan view of a fragmentary portion of an electronic matrix image.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 16 is similar to FIG. 15 but shows a customized fill-in image added to the matrix image.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 17 is similar to FIG. 10 showing a variation in how an active region is attached to the rest of the sheet. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1 shows a multi-dimensional print medium  10  having the shape of a photographic camera. Medium (or camera)  10  has a camera body  11  including a front portion  12  and a lens assembly  14  projecting through the camera body. Camera body  11  includes side portions  16  and  18  respectively joined to the front portion, and a top portion  20 . Print in the form of non-textual graphics  22  and  24  and text  26  appear on various portions of the camera.  
         [0023]    Camera  10  has the appearance of a three-dimensional object when viewed from the perspective of FIG. 1, although some parts may be open as at  13 . “Three-dimensional” is intended to be included under the broader term “multi-dimensional” that is more fully defined with respect to FIGS. 11, 13 and  14 .  
         [0024]    The invention allows camera  10  with its printed images of text or graphics to be produced from a preferably blank sheet  30  of print media shown in FIG. 2. Sheet  30 , which preferably is substantially flat, has undergone a die press process (not shown) of, preferably, microperfing, cutting and scoring. Such process defines various the following segments of the sheet:  11  (camera body),  14  (lens assembly), and  32  and  34  that are optional, as they do not form part of camera  10  (FIG. 1).  
         [0025]    A legend  36  shows a dotted line style  36   a  for microperfing, a dashed line style  36   b  for scoring, a solid line style  36   c  for cutting, a circle  36   d  for a punched-through hole, and a symbol (“&gt;”)  36   e  indicating a nick. Legend  36  is shown in a phantom box to indicate its actual absence from sheet  30 . These processes are now further described.  
         [0026]    Concerning the various die press processes, an alignment hole  38  produced from a punch-through die (not shown) is located on sheet  30 . FIG. 2 shows the front portion  12  of camera body  11 , its side portions  16  and  18  and its top portion  20 . As can be seen from legend  36 , various portions of the periphery of body  11 , such as edges  40  of tab  42 , are cut away from the remainder of the sheet. Other portions of body  11  are microperfed, as shown at  44 . Still other portions of the body are not cut, as at nicks  46  of tab  48 , which result from respective small gaps in a cutting die (not shown) that otherwise cuts the tab in a generally semicircular shape. Scoring lines, as at  50 , define lines for bending the adjacent portions. For instance, fold lines  50  guide bending of the various side portions  16  of camera body  11 , which are shown bent in FIG. 1. To effect the die press process, preferably a single diehead (not shown) is pressed in one operation from above (from the perspectives of FIGS. 2 and 3) onto sheet  30 . Respective portions of the die produce the microperfed, scored and cut areas. A scoring (non-cutting) die portion presses against the top of the sheet, producing a “valley” (not shown) on the top of the sheet and a usually a “ridge” (not shown) on the bottom of the sheet.  
         [0027]    Most preferably, as shown in FIG. 2, substantially all portions of the periphery of camera body  11  that are not cut are microperfed. This allows easy removal of the camera body from the rest of the sheet after a subsequent printing operation. Preferably, this is true for the other segments (e.g.,  14  and  32 ) on the sheet. Designs other than for the specific camera body shown in FIG. 2 may not require cutting. However, preferably, at least a substantial portion, meaning here at least about 50 percent, of the periphery of any segment is one or both of microperfed and cut, more preferably at least about 75 percent, even more preferably at least about 85 percent. “Approximately” can be substituted for “about” as used in the various ranges mentioned herein to provide more exact definition.  
         [0028]    The various segments on the sheet (e.g.,  11  or  14 ) define active areas for receiving print images (not shown). To allow tolerances in aligning sheet  30  in a printing device, a print image may extend beyond the periphery of each active area. For instance, FIG. 3 shows a print image  58  extending beyond the periphery of the fragmentary portion of the lens assembly  14 . In this regard, preferably the entire periphery of segment  11  or  14 , for example, is inwardly spaced from the edges of the sheet to allow a so-called “bleed” or tolerance band  59  around the segment. Band  59  may be greater than about ¼ inch (6.35 mm) in dimension  60  assuming image  58  is perfectly aligned with segment (or active area)  14 .  
         [0029]    To keep the various segments of the sheet (e.g.,  11  or  14 , FIG. 2) intact during a subsequent printing operation, an appropriate microperfing diehead (not shown) should be used. The sheet is considered intact if none of the segments tear away from the rest of the sheet while passing through a printing device so as to become undesirably bent or jam the device. For instance, as shown in FIG. 3, for card stock with a weight of 285 grams per square meter, a part description of 0.937 2 PT 50T/010×010 MICRO PERF SUPREME diehead  52  having fifty teeth  53  per inch (per 2.54 cm), with a tooth width  54  of 10 mils (______mm) and a “tie” length  56  of 10 mils (______mm), as sold by Seabord Steel Rule Co. of Bristol, Conn., U.S.A., typically will suffice. (The part description means a 0.937 inch [2.34 cm] high die, with a 28 mil [______mm] thick body, fifty teeth per inch [2.54 cm] and tooth and tie width of each 10 mils [______mm]). The selection of a suitable microperfing diehead (or dieheads) will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art based on the present specification.  
         [0030]    As shown in FIG. 4, image  58  can be properly aligned with the die pressed paper segment  14  in the following manner. Referring to FIGS.  5 - 6 , hole  38  may be punched through a test sheet  30  used for testing alignment in a die press operation. Then, a mark  61  may be printed on the test sheet, such as by printing a circular dot preferably larger than hole  38 . This may be in addition to other print indicia provided on the sheet. In a preferred method as shown, if the periphery of mark  61  remains intact, then proper alignment is indicated. This provides an easy visual indication that alignment is proper. If the hole breaches (or crosses) the periphery of mark  61 , improper alignment is indicated. Repositioning of an image to be printed with respect to a sheet to be fed through a printing device is then required.  
         [0031]    Many alternatives to the hole and circular dot of FIGS.  5 - 6  will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art based on the present specification. Further alternatives (not shown) include deforming the sheet with microperfing, scoring or cutting dies, by way of example. Preferably, the larger of the deformed region in the sheet and a printed mark defines a generally enclosed shape, with alignment being indicated if the other of the region and mark falls within such shape.  
         [0032]    As an alternative to hole  38  in FIGS.  5 - 6 , phantom lines  39   a  may be formed, for instance, from microperfing, scoring or cutting. Point  39   b  is actually the operative deformed area of the sheet, which, when it falls within printed indicia or mark  61 , indicates proper alignment.  
         [0033]    Additionally, as shown in FIG. 7, a deformed (e.g., depressed) region  62  could be formed in sheet  30  with appropriate embossing or debossing dies (not shown). As shown in FIG. 8, a circular dot larger than deformed region  62  could then be printed on a test sheet.  
         [0034]    During the die press operation described above, a scoring die (not shown) creates scoring or fold lines such as  50  in FIG. 2. FIG. 9 shows an enlarged, cross sectional view of a scoring line  70 . Line  70  includes what is referred to herein as a valley  70   a  when viewed from the perspective of a first side  72  of sheet  30 , and a ridge  70   b  when viewed from the perspective of a second side  74 .  
         [0035]    Usually, a print medium  76  such as toner or ink (shown as stippled for convenience) can be printed on first side  72  of the sheet, across valley  70 , with generally uniform coverage. Thus, print indicia such as a colored area (not shown) formed by print medium  76  that crosses valley  70  will maintain substantially uniform color quality. For this reason, first side  72  is usually the first choice for receiving a printed image. In contrast, a print medium  78  provided on second side  74  might lack substantially uniform coverage. Print medium  78  may be substantially thinner in the respective vicinities of areas  80  and  82  (shown with x&#39;s for convenience). This will cause a colored region (not shown), for example, crossing over ridge  70   b  to have a substantially lighter color near  80  and  82 .  
         [0036]    To avoid the problem of too light coverage of print medium, it is preferable to limit the height of the ridge. Thus, one preferably selects scoring diehead that keeps dimension  86  (FIG. 9) of the ridge below about 6 mils, more preferably below about 3 mils, and even more preferably below about 2 mils.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 10 shows a sheet  90  of print media including a segment or active area  92  for creating a mailer  100  such as illustrated in FIG. 11. Mailer  100  has print indicia on both sides, indicated in FIG. 12 by print medium  102  on the top and print medium  104  on the bottom. As such, mailer  100  will benefit from keeping its scoring ridges low, which correspond with and are on the other side of sheet  90  (FIG. 10) from scoring lines  106 . Keeping the ridges low is described just above. Other die patterns are also shown, such as cutting used to create slit  93 , microperfing  108  and nicks  109 . The die patterns follow legend  36  of FIG. 2.  
         [0038]    In further detail, FIG. 10 shows portions  92   a - 92   f  of segment  92 , and a slit  93  in portion  92   e . Alignment hole  106  may function like alignment hole  38  of FIG. 2. Hole  107  is an optional part of the design of the mailer. To keep the sheet intact when passing through a printing device, nicks (e.g.,  109 ) may need to be somewhat closely spaced apart along the leading edge of active area  92 , i.e., the edge of area  92  first fed into a printing device. The trailing edges of the area can then typically be less closely spaced apart. FIG. 11 shows mailer  100  in a multi-dimensional form, as that term is used herein. In this regard, the top of portion  92   c  extends away from portion  92   e , and the bottom of portion  92   e  extends away from portion  92   f , for instance. Thus, a visual scene (as that term is used herein) in FIG. 11 includes portions  92   c  and  92   e  that are intended to be viewed together, as shown. A multi-dimensional appearance, as that term is used herein, results from showing at least two layers (e.g.,  92   c  and  92   e ) of the sheet in different planes in a visual scene.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIGS. 13 and 14, in which contrasting color is shown by stippling, illustrate different print images that can be easily interchanged using the present invention. That is, a consumer can purchase unprinted sheets of print media that are already die pressed to create a desired shape. The image of FIG. 13 can be economically interchanged with the image of FIG. 14, for example, by printing the desired image. This contrasts with the prior art method of first printing a sheet and then die pressing it, which necessitates, in changing an image, an entire and usually costly production run.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 13 shows lapels  115   a  and  115   b  attached to underlying jacket portions  116   a  and  116   b  along respective folds  117   a  and  117   b . Similarly, FIG. 14 shows lapels  118   a  and  118   b  attached to underlying jacket portions  119   a  and  119   b  along respective folds  120   a  and  120   b . The lapels and the underlying jacket portions form a multi-dimensional image as defined above in connection with FIG. 11.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIGS. 15 and 16 show an electronic matrix image  121  (FIG. 15) for positioning on phantom-shown portion  92   e  of sheet  90  (FIG. 10) can then be customized with a customizable fill-in image  122  (FIG. 16). The resulting image (FIG. 16) is then printed onto the sheet. An electronic matrix image can be provided in a computer file from the Internet, a computer illustration program, or a standalone image scanner or one included in a photocopier, for example.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 17 is similar to FIG. 10, but shows a sheet  90  of print media in which the entire outer periphery of active region  190  is cut (e.g., at  124 ) except for nicks (e.g.,  126 ). The nicks adequately hold the active region to the rest of the sheet so as to keep the sheet sufficiently intact while passing through a printing device so as to prevent malfunction of the printing device. The die patterns follow legend  36  of FIG. 2.  
         [0043]    While paper ranging from bond paper with a weight of 75 grams per square meter to card stock with a weight of 570 grams per square meter are presently preferred as print media, other material can be used such as rubberized magnets, plastic sheets, sheets made with plastic resin, silicone sheets, linen and vinyl  
         [0044]    Typical printing devices for the invention include digital color copiers, black and white copiers, ink jet printers, and laser printers. A straight-though paper path is preferred, but is not necessary if the printing device is capable of handling the print media (e.g., paper or card stock) in question.  
         [0045]    The various tolerance features of the invention (e.g., alignment hole  38 , FIG. 2 and tolerance band  59 , FIG. 4) facilitate consistently accurate placement of images on print media without substantial distortion.  
         [0046]    While the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments by way of illustration, many modifications and changes will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true scope and spirit of the invention.