OFT develops clear patterned coatings for printed surfaces

OFT Technology Limited, the UK specialist of one pass print enhancement processes and the manufacturer of the Foiltone litho cold foil application system, has developed and patented Filmtone to allow patterned images to be visible in a clear varnish coating.

Filmtone can be applied to any lithographically printed surface. The pattern can be text, wallpaper or a specific image and can be applied across the whole surface of the sheet or in dedicated areas. The pattern produced has an inherent holographic effect which changes with the angle of view. This system has a multitude of applications from corporate brand identification to security marking.

Using the technology previously developed by OFT, the Filmtone unit utilizes two units of a press, one of which must be a litho unit, the other can be a coating unit or a litho unit. The film unwind and rewind mechanism developed for the Foiltone unit is used for

Filmtone, allowing a clear etched film to run between the blanket cylinder and the impression cylinder of a litho or coating unit. A litho duct UV varnish is applied on the first litho unit in the position required and comes into contact with the film on the second unit. The etch on the film is pressed into the surface of the varnish by the blanket cylinder and both are held together around the first quadrant of the impression cylinder where the varnish is dried by a UV source. The film is then peeled off the varnish and rewound. The pattern on the film is translated to an image in the varnish.

Where a plain smooth film is used a high degree of gloss (lux) can be achieved with a fraction of the coating weight necessary on a conventional coating station with a considerable cost saving. The film is reusable several times over. Positioned on the last print unit and first coating unit of a press the system can be run inline with the print achieving OFT’s philosophy of one pass processing.