Using middleware for generating vector graphics imaged security documents
A method is provided of digitally imaging a secure portion and a non-secure portion of scratch-off-coating protected documents of at least one game using middleware. The method includes: (a) generating the secure variable indicia in non-vector raster format; (b) generating vector graphics to be imaged on physical document locations; (c) assigning the secure variable indicia in a non-vector raster format to documents in and shuffling the documents throughout a print run; and (d) linking via middleware the secure variable indicia in the non-vector raster format to associated vector graphics variable indicia to be digitally imaged on the documents and to generate vector graphics-formatted data for each document in the print run. The secure variable indicia assignment and shuffling are executed by non-vector raster game generation software output that is reinterpreted by the middleware to produce related vector graphic output for the secure variable indicia.
1. A scratch-off-coating protected document comprising:
a substrate;
a scratch-off coating on a portion of the substrate; and
at least one secure variable indicium on the substrate hidden by the scratch-off coating, the at least one secure variable indicium comprising a vector graphic forming a printed image wherein the vector graphic is at a location on the substrate and linked to unprinted generated secure variable indicia in a non-vector graphic format composite image positioned in the same location as the at least one secure variable indicium.
2. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 1 , wherein the vector graphic is monochromatic.
3. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 2 , wherein the monochromatic vector graphic is printed at 240 dots-per-inch resolution.
4. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 1 , wherein the vector graphic is a process color.
5. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 1 , wherein the vector graphic is embodied in a PostScript language.
6. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 1 , which comprises a lottery ticket.
7. A scratch-off-coating protected document created from a generated but non-printed set of secure variable indicia in a non-vector graphic format, said scratch-off-coating protected document comprising:
a substrate; and
a set of vector graphic variable secure indicia printed at locations on the substrate and linked to the non-printed set of secure variable indicia in the non-vector graphic format image.
8. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 7 , wherein the set of vector graphic secure variable indicia are monochromatic.
9. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 8 , wherein the monochromatic set of vector graphic secure variable indicia are printed at 240 dots-per-inch resolution.
10. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 7 , wherein the set of vector graphic secure variable indicia are printed in process color.
11. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 7 , wherein the set of vector graphic secure variable indicia are embodied in a PostScript language.
12. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 7 , which comprises a lottery ticket.
13. A scratch-off-coating protected document comprising:
a substrate;
a digitally imaged non-secure portion on the substrate and comprising non-secure variable indicia;
a digitally imaged secure portion on the substrate and comprising secure variable indicia, the secure variable indicia:
(i) generated and assigned in a vector format, and
(ii) linked via middleware to unprinted raster formatted variable indicia; and
at least one scratch-off coating covering the secure variable indicia.
14. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 13 , wherein the variable indicia are monochromatic.
15. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 14 , wherein the monochromatic secure variable indicia are printed at 240 dots-per-inch resolution.
16. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 13 , wherein the secure variable indicia are printed in process color.
17. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 13 , wherein the secure variable indicia are embodied in a PostScript language.
18. The scratch-off-coating protected document of claim 13 , which comprises a lottery ticket.