JP5347586B2 - Label printing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a label printing method and a label. More specifically, the present invention relates to a label printing method and a label that display product information such as price, content, and barcode used in a retail store such as a supermarket.

  Fresh foods at retail stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores use labels for displaying product information (hereinafter also referred to as POS (Point of Sale) labels, priced labels, product labels) for consumers. For confirmation of merchandise information, it is widely used for retail stores in order to record merchandise sales information and use the aggregated results as inventory management and marketing materials.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, labels have been proposed as special sales products (discounted products) and advertising products for sales promotion that have a function that attracts the attention of consumers. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a label for the purpose of attracting consumers' attention by writing character information such as “bargain” at the top of the label. However, this technology appeals POP (Point of purchase advertising) information for appealing that the product with the label is a special sale product, and has added a POP function to the label for sales promotion. Stays on things.

  Here, providing on-demand recipe / menu information using products with labels attached to POS labels is considered to have a great merit for both consumers and retailers. First of all, for consumers, thinking about menus is a problem, and when visiting a retail store, thinking about a menu while looking at the product, and making a decision to purchase the product, detailed menu information is posted on the product. If so, there is a merit that the menu can be imagined instantaneously and the trouble of the menu can be solved. In addition, there is an advantage that the retail store can promote the sales of other items necessary for the menu in addition to the product, and can lead to the sales expansion of the store.

  For example, in Patent Document 2, a two-dimensional code obtained by encoding a URL of a product WEB site is written on a label, and the consumer reads the two-dimensional code with a mobile phone or the like, accesses the WEB site, and accesses the product. A technique capable of viewing recipe information is disclosed. However, in the case of this technique, there is a problem that the consumer cannot know what information is provided until WEB access, and the menu information cannot be provided unless the consumer accesses.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a technology for providing menu information without accessing the WEB site. However, in this technique, since the menu information is pre-printed in advance, the information is fixed, and there is a problem that it is difficult to respond to the on-demand property of the menu information.

  On the other hand, the ink jet recording method (ink jet method) is a method for recording and printing images, characters, etc. by ejecting fine liquid droplets of ink to adhere to a recording sheet such as paper. In particular, it is rapidly spreading in various uses as a means of color image information. In applications where the number of copies to be produced is small, it is being widely applied because it is cheaper than conventional printing methods. For example, Patent Document 4 and Patent Document 5 describe that an inkjet method can be used as a label application. Patent Documents 6 and 7 disclose techniques relating to inkjet recording paper suitable for barcode reading.

  In this way, technologies related to labels using the inkjet method have been proposed, but all are aimed at promoting the sales of the products with the labels attached, and promoting the sales of products other than the attached products. Not played. In other words, there has been no proposal for a method used like a bulletin board that displays not only information on a product with a label attached but also promotional information on other products.

  Also, in the past, flyers with product recipes have been installed near cash registers and on the sides of product shelves in stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores, and menu information has been announced. The announcement effect was insufficient due to the small number of places. In addition, the number of recipes to be installed is limited due to space limitations, the number of recipes that can be announced and the amount of information must be reduced, and it is not possible to provide a wide variety of recipe information in a way that has a high announcement effect. It was.

  In addition, when printing recipe / menu information on a label, it is conceivable to perform color printing in order to provide such information in a form that catches the eyes of consumers. However, it is technically difficult to perform full-color printing at the same time while printing barcode information on a label at a specified grade or higher, and there is room for study of the label printing method. It was left.

  Therefore, the present invention is not concerned with the menu of the consumer by reducing the legibility of the barcode and printing the recipe / menu information about the product in a conspicuous and easy-to-understand manner along with the product information on the label. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide a label printing method and a label capable of promoting sales of products and promoting sales of other products necessary for the recipe / menu to retail stores and the like.

  As a result of diligent research to solve the conventional problems as described above, the present inventors have made it possible to make barcode information more than a specific grade if the label is printed by the inkjet method, and the label can be made full color. Because it is easy, we have found that recipes and menu information can be provided in a way that is visible to consumers without reducing the work efficiency at the cash register.

In order to achieve such an object, the label printing method according to claim 1 is composed of on-demand product information linked with a weighing machine, character information, an illustration or a design, and a recipe and / or menu related to the product. Bars included in the on-demand product information are printed in ink-jet together with on-demand information, and at least the recipe and / or menu on-demand information and the background of the space for printing it are printed in full color. Code information is printed with the symbol grade specified in ANSI X3.182 at grade C or higher, and for the same type of product, on-demand information on different recipes and / or menus depending on the content or price of the product Is printed .

The invention described in claim 2 is the label printing method according to claim 1, wherein a functional layer having an ink absorbing function is provided on the base material of the label to be printed.

  According to the label printing method according to the present invention, it is possible to provide consumers with abundant recipes and menu information in an efficient and easy-to-understand manner, and to retail stores such as supermarkets in addition to the products. Labels that can be sold together with other items necessary for recipes and menus can be printed in full color by the ink jet method.

  The label according to the present invention can provide consumers with abundant recipe / menu information in an efficient and easy-to-understand manner. On the other hand, a retail store such as a supermarket can promote sales of other items necessary for recipes and menus in addition to the product.

  In addition, since the barcode information printed on the label satisfies the symbol grade defined by ANSI X3.182, which is grade C or higher, the barcode readability is maintained and the operation of the POS system, etc. is hindered. There is nothing to do.

  Further, even if the same type of product, such as a product to be strengthened, is printed, it is possible to increase sales more efficiently by printing different recipe / menu information.

It is a figure which shows an example of the label which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the other example of the label which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the other example of the label which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows the other example of the label which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows a mode that the goods with the label which concerns on this invention are displayed. (A) Another example of a label according to the present invention, (b) an example of a label with a low barcode grade.

  Hereinafter, the configuration according to the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

1. Label printing method The label printing method according to the present invention prints on-demand product information in conjunction with a weighing machine and on-demand information on recipes and / or menus related to the product by an inkjet method, and at least Recipe and / or menu on-demand information is printed in full color, and bar code information included in on-demand product information is printed with the symbol grade specified in ANSI X3.182 at grade C or higher. is there.

  Here, “on-demand product information” means that foods such as meat, fish, vegetables, side dishes, etc. are packaged, and the content and type of the package varies depending on the product. Information that is measured and converted into data and linked to that data. That is, the information is unique to each product, and specific contents include information such as product name, content, unit price, price, expiration date, processing date, and production area. These pieces of information are product information that requires on-demand printing because the information needs to be printed on a label each time the product is packaged. Also, information such as a barcode, a two-dimensional code (QR code, SP code, Vericode, etc.) is also included in the on-demand product information.

  “Recipe and / or menu on-demand information” (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “recipe / menu information”) related to the product is information relating to a plan for preparing a meal. This is a plan that comprehensively considers menu, taste, cost, nutrition, labor, technology, time, etc. When it is desired to propose a plurality of menu repertoires, it can be said that the on-demand printing is necessary because on-demand printing output is required because the contents differ for each menu. In addition, in the case of menu information, in addition to menu material and cooking method text information, information such as illustrations, designs, and photographs that can be used to recall the completed image of the menu are necessary, and both text and image information are merged. On-demand information.

  The label printing method according to the present invention prints on-demand product information linked with a weighing machine and recipe / menu information related to the product by an inkjet method, and at least the recipe / menu information is full color. By printing, it draws the attention of consumers compared to the case where each piece of information is affixed to a single product as a separate label, and as a result, the announcement effect of menu information is greatly different Can do.

  Here, when a consumer purchases a product, as a means of obtaining product information, if the product is packaged with a transparent film or the like, the product state can be viewed by directly viewing the product through the film, It is assumed that information such as price and content is obtained from the pasted POS label. Therefore, it is assumed that the consumer's attention to the POS label is high. Therefore, if recipe / menu information is written together on a POS label with high consumer attention, the recipe / menu information is naturally added as compared to the case where the recipe / menu information is presented elsewhere. The degree of attention to the recipe / menu information being made is high, and as a result, the announcement effect of the recipe / menu information can be increased.

  Furthermore, when printing recipe / menu information along with on-demand product information, full-color printing is difficult in the case of label printing by the conventional thermal recording method, whereas the present invention uses the inkjet method. This makes it possible to print information in full color, and to increase consumer attention with designs, illustrations, and photographs that use color.

  In addition, when a retail store such as a supermarket thinks that the trouble of a consumer's menu can be solved by adding recipe / menu information to the POS label, it can handle many recipes / menu information for each product. preferable. In addition, in order for retail stores to promote sales of other products necessary for menus in an efficient manner, it is possible to change the recipe and menu information for each product, such as products that you want to strengthen sales, in order to efficiently connect to sales expansion. Preferably it can be done. Therefore, the recipe / menu information printed on the label varies depending on the product, and even for the same and the same type of product, it depends on various factors such as content, sales time (season), product price, etc. Thus, it is preferable to be able to selectively print suitable recipe / menu information each time.

  Therefore, in order to cope with this with the conventional printing method, it is necessary to prepare a method that prints a plurality of menu information in advance and prints product information in conjunction with the weighing machine. It is necessary to keep a stock of labels according to. However, by using the inkjet method, it is possible to change the contents of the menu information on a plain label for each sheet and perform on-demand color printing, so that the inventory of printed labels can be made unnecessary. .

  As described above, information such as a barcode and a two-dimensional code (barcode information) is also printed on the label as on-demand product information. Here, information that can function in monochrome printing, such as barcode information, can be printed by the inkjet method (monochrome printing). However, the label printing is changed to the conventional thermal recording method, and the inkjet printing is performed. When printing using this method, there is a problem of deterioration in the legibility of bar code information.

  However, in the label printing method according to the present invention, specifically, the symbol grade defined in the bar code print quality guideline “ANSI X3.182” standard so that the bar code information has a legibility higher than a predetermined grade. Can be printed with a predetermined grade (grade C or higher). Note that it is possible to print a two-dimensional code without degrading the legibility.

  In this way, the readability of the bar code can be maintained in the same manner as a system that prints a bar code using a conventional thermal recording method, and the POS system (settlement using bar codes at the cash register, POS data) Collection), etc., so as not to hinder the operation.

  Here, in order to create a barcode by the inkjet method and ensure that the symbol grade defined by ANSI X3.182 is grade C or higher, there are preferable conditions for each of the receptor, head, and ink related to the printing apparatus, It can be achieved by a combination thereof. For example, in the receptor, the higher the smoothness of the ink receiving surface and the larger the ink absorption, the higher the ANSI symbol grade of the barcode. Moreover, the ANSI symbol grade grade of the bar code becomes higher as the resolution is higher in the head.

  In the present invention, as an ink jet system that can be used, any system such as a serial system, a line system, and a continuous system can be used as the print head type. Further, as the ink type, for example, any type such as water-based dye ink, water-based pigment ink, solvent-based dye ink, solvent-based pigment ink, and UV ink can be used.

  In the present invention, the base material of the label is not particularly limited as long as it can cope with printing by the ink jet method, and a base material such as paper, film, synthetic paper, and cloth can be used. It is.

  Furthermore, it is also possible to provide a functional layer having an ink absorption function on the substrate for the purpose of improving the recording characteristics in the ink jet system. For example, matte paper, glossy paper, photographic paper, proof paper or the like generally known as inkjet paper can be used. Also, a label style with adhesive and release paper on the back side of the print surface, a linerless label style with thermally activated adhesive on the back side of the print surface, a peeling function on the print side, and an adhesive on the back side of the print surface It is also possible to use in a linerless label style with

2. Label The label according to the present invention is printed together with on-demand product information linked with a weighing machine and on-demand information on recipes and / or menus related to the products, and at least recipes and / or menus. The on-demand information is printed in full color, and the barcode information included in the on-demand product information is printed with the symbol grade defined by ANSI X3.182 being grade C or higher (FIGS. 1 to 6). (A)). The label is preferably printed by the ink jet method, but may be printed in full color by a printing method other than the ink jet method.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows an example of a label printed by the label printing method described above. The label 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a pork loin sliced POS label 10, and the recipe / menu information 2 of the salt pork pan is provided as recipe / menu information 2 on the on-demand information 1 linked to the weighing machine. In addition, full-color printing is performed by an ink jet method. This salt pork recipe / menu information 2 is printed in color for all characters, illustrations, and backgrounds, and the barcode 3 is printed with a symbol grade defined by ANSI X3.182 of Grade C or higher. .

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 2 shows another example of a label printed by the above-described label printing method. The label 10 shown in FIG. 2 is a POS label 10 of domestically-ground ground meat, and the recipe / menu information 2 of roll cabbage is combined as recipe / menu information 2 on the left side of the on-demand information 1 linked to the weighing machine. Full-color printing is performed by the inkjet method. The roll cabbage recipe / menu information 2 is printed in color for all characters, illustrations and background, and the barcode 3 is printed with a symbol grade defined by ANSI X3.182 at grade C or higher.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 3 shows another example of a label printed by the above-described label printing method. The label 10 shown in FIG. 3 is a raw sardine POS label 10, and the recipe / menu information 2 of the sardine mustard grill is also added as the recipe / menu information 2 below the on-demand information 1 linked to the weighing machine. Full color printing is performed by the ink jet method. This sardine mustard-baked recipe / menu information 2 is printed in color for all characters, illustrations, and background, and the barcode 3 is printed with a symbol grade defined by ANSI X3.182 of grade C or higher.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 4 shows another example of a label printed by the above-described label printing method. The label 10 shown in FIG. 4 is a POS label 10 made of pork loin slices, and the recipe / menu information 2 as the recipe / menu information 2 is added to the right part of the on-demand information 1 linked to the weighing machine. Full-color printing is performed by the inkjet method. The recipe / menu information 2 of the pork saute is printed in color for all characters, illustrations, and backgrounds, and the barcode 3 is printed with a symbol grade defined by ANSI X3.182 at grade C or higher.

  As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4, by printing the recipe / menu information 2 in which character information, illustration information, etc. are printed in full color on the POS label 10 on which the on-demand product information 1 is printed, the consumer can When the product information is confirmed with the POS label 10 at the time of purchasing the product, the recipe / menu information 2 written together is stopped, and the announcement effect of the recipe / menu information 2 can be dramatically increased. Further, the retail store can provide the consumer with such recipe / menu information 2 so as to eliminate the trouble of the consumer's menu and acquire the trust of the consumer. Furthermore, by selling other products necessary for recipes and menus, sales can be expanded.

[Fifth Embodiment]
FIG. 5 shows a state in which products with labels 10 printed by the label printing method described above are displayed. Fig. 5 shows a label with different recipes and menu information 2 (salt pork pan and pork saute) attached to the same type of product (pig roast) and displayed on display shelf 4 Show. As described above, by creating a label using the ink jet method, a plurality of different recipe / menu information 2 can be easily attached to the label 10 of the same type of product.

[Sixth Embodiment]
As described above, a label printed by the above-described label printing method has a bar code of a predetermined grade (symbol grade defined by ANSI X3.182 is grade C) or higher. FIGS. 6A and 6B show examples of labels having different barcode symbol grades.

  FIG. 6A is an example of a label according to the present invention, and the barcode 3 is grade B. FIG. According to the label 10, the legibility of the bar code can be maintained in the same manner as the system for printing the bar code by the conventional thermal recording method. On the other hand, in FIG. 6B, the barcode 5 is a comparative example of grade F. Since the bar code 5 has wrinkles on the edge of the bar and is difficult to read at the cash register, the work efficiency of the cash register is extremely lowered.

  The above-described embodiment is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

1 On-demand product information 2 Recipe / menu information 3 Bar code 4 Product display shelf 5 Bar code (Grade F)
10 labels

Japanese Patent No. 2956599 JP 2006-47619 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-203281 Japanese Patent No. 3078425 JP 2004-322458 A JP 2007-136967 A JP 2007-90709 A

Claims (2)

It consists of on-demand product information linked to the weighing machine, text information, and illustration or design, and prints on-demand information on recipes and / or menus related to the product using an inkjet method.
And at least the recipe and / or menu on-demand information and the background of the space for printing it are printed in full color,
The barcode information included in the on-demand product information is printed with a symbol grade defined by ANSI X3.182 of grade C or higher,
A label printing method for printing different types of on-demand information of the recipe and / or menu according to the content or price of the product for the same type of product. The label printing method according to claim 1, wherein a functional layer having an ink absorbing function is provided on a substrate of a label to be printed.