Patent ID: 8287677

Claim:
A method of forming a printed elastic composite, the method comprising: passing an elastic film and a meltblown facing through a nip formed by at least two rolls, one of which is a patterned roll, wherein the elastic film comprises a polymer composition; at the nip, concurrently melt fusing the film to the meltblown facing and forming apertures in the film without substantially softening a polymer of the meltblown facing, wherein the film is under tension at a stretch ratio of about 1.5 or more in the machine direction at the nip; allowing the film to retract in the machine direction so that the meltblown facing gathers and forms pleats on a surface thereof; and thereafter, printing an ink onto the surface of the meltblown facing, wherein the ink is printed in a pattern that covers from about 25% to about 100% of the surface area of the meltblown facing.