Direct Thermal Variable Printing Substrate
The invention is an article and method of discretely recording confidential information especially for lottery applications and comprises: providing a substrate assembly comprising a) a substrate, b) a first layer of an acid developer material coated on the substrate, c) a meltable barrier layer applied over the acidic developer material, the meltable barrier layer being meltable in response to the applied heat of a thermal printhead or laser, d) a scratch-off layer coated over the meltable barrier layer, and e) pressure-sensitive microcapsules containing a dye precursor and solvent dispersed in any of the layers and, recording non-visible information by selective application of heat to the substrate assembly using a thermal printhead or laser, the barrier layer being “activated” by melting in discrete areas where heat is selectively applied from the thermal printhead or laser. The recorded non-visible information is revealed by removing the scratch-off layer using applied pressure thereby rupturing the microcapsules enabling the dye precursor to contact the acidic developer material and form a visible color in the discrete area where the barrier layer was melted by application of heat using a thermal printhead or laser.
1 . A heat sensitive recording material useful as a scratch-off ticket comprising:
a) a substrate,
b) a first layer of an acidic developer material coated on the substrate,
c) a meltable barrier layer applied over the acidic developer material, the meltable barrier layer being meltable in response to heat applied from a printing means,
d) a scratch-off layer coated over the meltable barrier layer,
e) microcapsules, containing a dye precursor and solvent, dispersed in any of the layers, the microcapsules being rupturable when the scratch-off layer is removed and enabling the dye precursor to contact the acidic developer material.
2 . The heat sensitive recording material according to claim 1 wherein the substrate is selected from paper or film.
3 . The heat sensitive recording material according to claim 1 wherein the dye precursor is a leuco or fluoran color former.
4 . The heat sensitive recording material according to claim 1 wherein the meltable barrier layer is selected from a wax, a low melt point solid, or a gel.
5 . The heat sensitive material according to claim 1 wherein any of the layers coated on the substrate are coated on only a portion of the substrate.
6 . The heat sensitive recoding material according to claim 1 wherein the scratch-off ticket is a lottery ticket.
7 . The heat sensitive recording material according to claim 1 comprising in addition an optional printer layer.
8 . A pressure sensitive latent image recording ticket comprising:
a) a substrate,
b) a first layer comprising a coating of an acidic developer material,
c) a second layer comprising a meltable barrier layer applied over the acidic donor layer,
d) a third layer coated over the meltable barrier layer,
e) a microencapsulated dye-precursor dispersed in any of the layers.
9 . The ticket according to claim 8 wherein the third layer is selected from a scratch-off layer, a transparent layer, a translucent layer, or a protective top coat layer.
10 . The ticket according to claim 9 wherein any of the layers coated on the substrate are coated on only a portion of the substrate.
11 . The pressure sensitive latent image recoding ticket according to claim 8 wherein the substrate is paper or film.
12 . The pressure sensitive latent image recording ticket according to claim 8 including in addition a scratch-off layer as a top layer or as a layer over the meltable barrier layer.
13 . A method of recording latent information comprising:
providing a substrate assembly comprising:
a) a substrate,
b) a first layer of an acidic developer material coated on the substrate,
c) a meltable barrier layer applied over the acidic developer material, the meltable, barrier layer being meltable in response to the applied heat of a printing means,
d) a scratch-off layer coated over the meltable barrier layer,
e) pressure-sensitive microcapsules containing a dye precursor and solvent dispersed in any of the layers;
recording non-visible information by selective application of heat to the substrate assembly using a printing means, the barrier layer melting in discrete areas where heat is applied from the printing means.
14 . The method according to claim 13 including the additional step of revealing the recorded non-visible information by removing the scratch-off layer using applied pressure thereby rupturing the microcapsules enabling the dye precursor to contact the acidic developer material and form a visible color in the discrete areas where the barrier layer melted.
15 . The method according to claim 12 wherein recording the non-visible information is by selective application of heat applied from a printing means comprising a thermal printhead or laser.
16 . The method according to claim 12 wherein the scratch-off layer is an opaque overlay disposed over the meltable barrier layer.
17 . The method according to claim 12 wherein the recording of non-visible information comprises recording of a lottery result.