EP1293359A2 - Confidential document for laser or ink-jet printing - Google Patents

Abstract

The document has a blocked-out anti-adhesive zone on which is set a transparent adhesive film onto which the printer writes. A strip is pre-cut at the back of the document leaving ties with the rest of the document. The addressee reads the printed part by clipping the pre-cut strip. The printed information is masked, or attached in a way that damages the document to clearly show tampering.

Description

The technical field of the present invention is that of printing and more particularly that of the preparation of documents containing a confidential text.

In modern life, there are all kinds of opportunities for writing documents containing confidential information that third parties, including printers and people responsible for delivering them should ignore. Only the recipient must take note. So such documents are sent by banks to their clients to disclose their credit card code to them, or by trustees to tell the occupants of a building what is the code to access it.

According to the prior art, the reverse side of such confidential texts is redacted, and often we also redact an envelope in which the document is located.

In the case of transmission of the credit card code to their customers, some financial institutions write it clearly in a registered letter or not, but this is not confidential since the code is known to the typist who writes it and that a third party can open and close the envelope without the recipient surrendering account of indiscretion.

Another financial institution uses an A4 format form which includes bottom left corner a pre-cut heel on which an adhesive label has been placed, carbonless, redacted on its front. The code is entered there using a printer at impact. When peeling off the label, the code appears and is readable by anyone indiscreet who, after reading, will replace the label exactly in its initial location, without the recipient being able to notice it. Confidentiality is therefore not guarantee.

Yet another financial institution sends more documents to its customers sophisticated which includes a first sheet kept by the issuer which includes a redacted area of intertwined letters and numbers and its back is fully coated with carbonless layer while the client receives a document in the form of a pocket glued on all four sides by a strip pre-cut in dotted lines. The front of the first copy, in addition to the emblem of the transmitter and the place of emission, contains an area or the customer's address and the reasons for possible non-distribution are printed, a small rectangular area redacted with interlaced numbers and letters intended to receive the code by carbonless duplication. The front of the second copy, inside the cover, therefore illegible before having broken the precut strips of the edges of the document, includes in particular a frame plumb with the redacted area of the front of the first copy where the code will be readable by the recipient. Finally, the back of the second copy, outside of the cover, is completely redacted to improve opacity. When IT prints the address on the first sheet, we find it on the first copy of the cover. When we also print by impact the confidential code on the redacted area, it is impossible to read it on the first copy of the cover, but it appears clearly as part of the front of his second copy.

Yet another financial institution uses a similar document, but still more sophisticated because the pouch contains another pouch to pull from the first. This, also redacted on the back of two sheets also contains borders pre-cut that must be torn to finally access the code that appears on the front of the second copy.

The prior techniques are therefore expensive and for some unreliable as to the confidentiality. In addition, printers are used to print the confidential text. impact that have become obsolete and are increasingly being replaced by laser or inkjet printers that do better work at lower cost.

The object of the present invention is to present a simple document, reliable as to the confidentiality, laser or inkjet printed, therefore practical and economical.

The subject of the present invention is therefore a new document comprising a confidential inscription which should only be read by persons authorized to read it characterized in that it has a redacted area in which there is an area non-stick on which there is an adhesive film, at least partially transparent, for laser or inkjet printing and the back of which is cut in advance, in the thickness of the document but without starting the film, a tab taking care of leave attachments forming seals connecting the tab to the rest of the document, the confidential entry being printed by laser or inkjet and the person authorized taking note of the confidential registration by detaching the tab pre-cut by breaking the ties, making it easier to read the text if desired confidential by gluing the back of the tab to the transparent adhesive film.

According to the invention, the confidential text is printed by a laser or jet printer ink on the film and it is essential that the area of the tab to be detached is nonstick. The non-pre-cut tab fasteners serve to prove that no one tried to read the confidential text printed on the film before the recipient and so they serve as seals. The caraway must be sufficient to make impossible to read confidential text printed by laser or inkjet without detaching the tab after having broken the fasteners. As soon as the tab is removed, it is possible to read the confidential text on the film, but it is advisable to paste the back the tab which allows a more comfortable reading of the confidential text, or at all less to lay the film flat on a solid surface whose color contrasts with the confidential inscription of the adhesive film.

The new document of the invention allows traditional enveloping. He ... not has no excess thickness except that of the adhesive film for laser printing or inkjet that a person skilled in the art can make very fine, of a few tens of microns, and it is well suited to modern fast printing methods, laser printer or inkjet. Confidentiality can be taken to the extreme since whoever manipulates the printer can ignore confidential information such as codes, which it prints.

The very complexity of the prior art, and its non-adaptation to modern techniques prove that the present invention is not obvious to one skilled in the art art.

According to an embodiment of the confidential document of the invention, the redacted area of the document also has a pattern of small dots. According to the invention, is meant by point any inscription of small size because the usual circular shape of the points is not a feature of the invention. The presence of small dots has only to further hamper the reading of inscriptions made by laser printer or inkjet.

According to an embodiment of the confidential document of the invention which makes it possible to obtain a flatter document with a more aesthetic appearance, the non-stick area has no appreciable thickness. This is achieved in particular by depositing the product non-stick, known to those skilled in the art, when printing redaction.

According to another embodiment of the confidential document of the invention, a film is used matt polyester adhesive for laser or inkjet printing which is well known by one skilled in the art.

In another embodiment of the confidential document of the invention, the tab pre-cut has no common edge with the edges of the entire document, and there thus forms a sort of island. This feature is important for ensuring perfect confidentiality because if the tab were to have a common edge with the document an intruder might try to read the confidential text by raising slightly the film tab.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the confidential inscription is printed in inversion, i.e. it is printed so that it can be read normally when you turn the document over on its back after removing the tab Pluck.

According to an embodiment of the confidential document of the invention, the adhesive film overflows the non-stick area and is glued to it on the paper backing so that when separates the film from the support, the film does not tear while the paper support is shredded. This is achieved by coating either the plastic film or the paper backing, i.e. the two surfaces of a permanent adhesive whose resistance to the pullout is greater than that of the pullout resistance of the fibers which constitute the screen of the paper support, and by choosing a film more resistant to as the paper backing. Those skilled in the art will be able to choose both the adhesive which should be strong enough that the film should be thick enough. Which is unexpected and out of reach of the skilled person is the application of the weft defibration backing paper as proof that we tried to separate the film from its backing paper and that the confidential entry could be read. The recipient will notice indiscreet reading of the confidential text since to do so, we will have to lift the film and defibrate the paper backing, which will leave visible traces even if we tried to re-glue the paper. Therefore, this last feature of the invention dissuade any unauthorized third party from trying to read the registration confidential thus making confidentiality more reliable.

According to another embodiment of the confidential document of the invention, the tab pre-cut overflows the adhesive film and that the sealing fasteners are arranged on the cut overflowing the adhesive film. This feature allows both strengthen the reliability of confidentiality by making it obvious that any attempt to read the confidential inscription and to more easily separate the precut tab from the movie.

Following an improvement of this last embodiment, at least one tab, for example of the shape and size of the last phalanx of the thumb, protruding the non-stick area, part of which is covered by the adhesive film while the other part overflows and has ties in the precut. This improvement facilitates the detachment of the film from its paper support. By pushing in with the thumb in the recto-verso direction the part of the tab going beyond the adhesive film, we break the fasteners and we begin to detach the film from its paper support by priming also, if necessary, its defibration. By taking between this thumb and forefinger this part of the tab and continuing to peel the film from its support, the part of the tab glued to the adhesive remains there since the tab is precut around its entire periphery and we reveals the confidential inscription directly above the redacted area on the film, and, if necessary if necessary, the paper backing is defibre outside the non-stick area.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the redacted area covers the area non-stick around which safety markings have been printed legible which continues without fracture of the non-stick zone towards its outside. According to the terminology of this description, the inscriptions are said to be legible if they can be read both on the redacted area and around it. For example, Safety markings are white in the redacted area. The redacted area could also overflow the non-stick area with safety markings all in white. The inscriptions covered by this last characteristic are said to be security because they constitute an additional means of improving the reliability of confidentiality in the since, after having disconnected the tongue from the rope, it will not be possible to reconstruct the whole without producing visible breaks in the inscriptions of security.

According to another characteristic of the confidential document of the invention, we have removed the adhesiveness of the film on the surface which corresponds to the redacted area in applying a non-stick substance to the film before applying the adhesive. This feature of the invention may be useful in preventing the recipient authorized to read the confidential inscription, to stick the film on any support. For example, the user of a bank card may have the bad idea of sticking the film on it to keep his code in mind whenever he uses his card. Besides that this practice is contrary to the recommendations of banks which advocate that codes be memorized and written down nowhere, the film can come off in the devices having to handle the card, especially ATMs, which can cause the failure.

According to another characteristic of the confidential document of the invention, the substance non-stick inserted between the film and the adhesive of the adhesive film is a silicone.

The present invention also relates to the method for preventing the reading of a confidential inscription printed by laser or inkjet in a redacted area document in which there is a non-stick area, on which there is a adhesive film for laser or inkjet at least partially transparent, and on the back of which we cut in advance, in the thickness of the document but without starting the film, a tongue taking care to leave fasteners forming seals connecting the tongue the rest of the document, the authorized person reading the registration confidential by detaching the precut tab by breaking the fasteners, facilitating if she wishes her reading of the confidential text by gluing the back of the tab on the transparent adhesive film.

The present invention also relates to the method for preventing a third party not authorized to read by leaving intact a confidential document characterized in that one provides the document with at least one of the characteristics of the set consisting of confidential registration is written by laser printer or inkjet on a film adhesive plumb with a redacted area, we add a screen in small dots in the redacted area of the document, the edges of the pre-cut tab are never confused with those of the confidential document, the surface of the signs and characters confidential is covered with less than 100% ink or toner.

We know that redaction is a hindrance to the reading of an inscription, that a weft with small dots whose shape is not characteristic of the invention is a additional hindrance.

We can also use the possibility offered by laser and inkjet printers to print the signs and characters of the confidential text only at a certain percentage cover. When the coverage is 100%, the entire area of the signs and characters are covered with toner or ink, and these appear very clearly at the risk of being able to be read notwithstanding redaction and even the dot pattern. At as the coverage of signs and characters decreases, that is to say that the surface coated with toner or ink decreases, these become less apparent and it is getting harder and harder to read or guess in the redaction and the weft with small dots. It is obvious that the percentage of coverage to guarantee the impossibility of discerning confidential signs and characters depends on the quality at both redaction and weft with small dots. Therefore, the characteristic of the invention here is simply that the covering of signs and characters is not carried out than a percentage less than 100%.

The present invention further relates to the method for highlighting any attempted breach of confidentiality in a confidential document according to the invention characterized in that it is at least one element of the assembly constituted by fasteners forming seals connect the pre-cut tab to the rest of the document, an adhesive film which cannot be lifted from its support, in areas where it is not coated with a non-stick layer, without defibrating the backing paper, the non-stick area covers the redacted area and inscriptions have been printed on the periphery of the non-stick area that continue without breaking the non-stick area to the outside and which are legible both in the non-stick area and outside.

The invention also relates to the method of preparing a confidential document according to the invention characterized in that one prints a redacted area on the document including a non-stick area on which an adhesive film is placed, at least partially transparent, for laser or inkjet printing and on the back of the document, at the place where the film is, we cut in advance, in the thickness of the document without starting the film, a tab taking care to leave fasteners forming seals, then the confidential text is printed in the laser or inkjet area delimited by the film by inkjet or by laser.

The present invention also relates to the method for reading a text. confidential in a confidential document according to the invention characterized in that one breaks the fasteners forming seals of the precut tab and that one reads the confidential text on the adhesive film after, if desired, laying it flat on a plain surface whose color contrasts with the confidential inscription of the film adhesive.

The present invention further relates to the method for preventing the adhesive film bearing the confidential entry of the confidential document according to the invention may be glued on another support characterized in that one interposes on the surface to directly above the redacted area, between the film itself and the adhesive, a layer non-stick which can in particular be made of silicone.

The present invention will be better understood on reading the example which follows.

EXAMPLE: Document transmitting the code of a credit card.

On sheets of A4 format at 80 g per m ² , the non-confidential inscriptions are printed with the laser printer and a block A, of rectangular shape, redacted and provided with a screen of small dots, 90 mm long by 30 mm high and located 15 mm from the top and right edges. During the same passage, a non-stick coating is deposited forming a block B of 76 by 20 mm located in the middle of block A.

Then, over the entire surface of paver A, a permanently adhesive film is applied. matt polyester for laser printing 50 microns thick. On the back of printing, on the back and in the middle of block B, we cut taking care not to start the polyester film, a C tab of 60 by 15 mm leaving eight fasteners which connect the tab to the rest of the sheet, 4 fasteners are placed at the four corners of the tongue, the other four are regularly arranged every 20 mm along the two long edges. The back of tab C is white and therefore does not have any registration.

This produces A4 format documents for use by financial institutions issuers to send each customer the secret code of their credit card. The attendant of the financial institution prints the name and uses a laser printer the addressee's address and, in block B and within the area delimited by the surface of the tab, its confidential code. This last impression is made from so that the surface of the printed figures is only 30% covered, so that it is impossible to read them on the redaction and the dot plot. The documents thus completed are put in envelopes and sent to customers. Upon receipt of sound document, each customer detaches the tab C by breaking the eight fasteners.

Laser printing with 30% coverage of the digit area is sufficient to read them. But the customer will prefer to turn over the tab C and stick its back on the permanent adhesive of the polyester film because the reading of the confidential code will be much easier on the white background of the back of the tab C.

The present invention is in no way limited to the present example and to the explanations which preceded it and it also concerns all the achievements evident to man of art that flow from the spirit of the invention. As other examples, we can thus communicate, in addition to credit card codes, the confidential access code to the Minitel, the code of a Telecom card, a building access code, texts and reports more important classified secrets because nothing prevents increasing the size of the area confidential which contains the redaction, the laser film and the removable tab. The area could even occupy the entire surface of the A4 document, minus a border about 1 cm on all sides.

Likewise, the present invention is not limited to A4 format documents which is in no way characteristic of the invention or of a flat print. We could just as well use any other printing mode, especially continuous.

Claims (18)

New document comprising a confidential inscription which should only be read by persons authorized to read it, characterized in that it includes a redacted area in which there is a non-stick area on which an adhesive film, at least partially transparent, is placed to laser or inkjet printing and on the back of which is cut in advance, in the thickness of the document but without starting the film, a tongue taking care to leave seals forming seals connecting the tongue to the rest of the document, the confidential inscription being printed by laser or inkjet and the authorized person taking cognizance of the confidential inscription by detaching the precut tab by breaking the fasteners, facilitating if he so wishes his reading of the confidential text by gluing the back of the tab on the transparent adhesive film. New confidential document according to claim 1 characterized in that the redacted area also includes a background screen formed by small dots. New confidential document according to any one of claims 1 or 2 characterized in that the non-stick area has no appreciable thickness. New confidential document according to any one of claims 1, 2 or 3 characterized in that the adhesive film is a matt polyester film for laser or inkjet printing. New confidential document according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 characterized in that the edges of the precut tab are never confused with those of the confidential document. New confidential document according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 characterized in that the confidential entry is printed in reverse. New confidential document according to any one of the claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 characterized in that the adhesive film extends beyond the non-stick area and is there glued to the paper support so that when the film is detached from the support, the film does not tear while the paper backing is defibrated. New confidential document according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 characterized in that the pre-cut tab projects beyond the adhesive film and that the fasteners forming seals are arranged on the cut projecting beyond the adhesive film. New confidential document according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 characterized in that the redacted area covers the non-stick area around the periphery of which legible security inscriptions have been printed and which continue without fracture of the non-stick zone towards its outside. New confidential document according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 characterized in that the adhesiveness of the film on the surface which corresponds to the redacted area has been removed by applying a non-stick substance to the film before applying the adhesive. New confidential document according to claim 10 characterized in that the non-stick substance interposed between the film and the adhesive of the adhesive film is a silicone. New confidential document according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 11 characterized in that at least one tab has been precut, extending beyond the non-stick area, of which one part is covered by the film while the other part overflows it and has fasteners in the precut. New process intended to make confidential an inscription printed by laser or ink jet characterized in that it is written in a redacted area of a document in which there is a non-stick area, on which an adhesive film is placed for laser or inkjet printing at least partially transparent, and on the back of which is cut in advance, in the thickness of the document but without starting the film, a tab taking care to leave seals forming seals connecting the tab the rest of the document, the authorized person taking note of the confidential inscription by detaching the precut tab by breaking the fasteners, facilitating if he so wishes his reading of the confidential text by gluing the transparent adhesive film on the back of the tongue or any plain surface forming contrast. Method for preventing an unauthorized third party from reading by leaving it intact a confidential document according to any one of claims 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 characterized in that we provide a document with at least one of the characteristics of the assembly constituted by the confidential inscription is written by laser printer or ink jet on an adhesive film directly above a redacted area, we add a raster in small dots in the redacted area of the document, the edges of the precut tab are never confused with those of the confidential document, the surface of the confidential signs and characters is covered with ink or toner at less than 100%. Method for highlighting any attempt to breach confidentiality in a document according to any one of Claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 characterized in that '' there is at least one element of the assembly constituted by fasteners forming seals connecting the pre-cut tongue to the rest of the document, an adhesive film which cannot be lifted from its support, in areas where it is not coated with '' a non-stick layer, without defibrating the backing paper, the non-stick area covers the redacted area and safety inscriptions have been printed on the periphery of the non-stick area which continue without breaking the non-stick area towards the outside and which are legible in the non-stick area than outside. Method for preparing a document comprising a confidential inscription according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 11 or 12 characterized in that an area is printed redacted on the document including a non-stick area on which there is an adhesive film, at least partially transparent, for laser or inkjet printing and that on the back of the document, where the film is located cut in advance, in the thickness of the document without starting the film, a tab taking care to leave fasteners forming seals, then we print with laser or inkjet the confidential text in the area delimited by the film by jet ink or laser. Method for obtaining knowledge of a confidential text in a document according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4,5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 characterized in that it breaks the fasteners forming seals of the precut tab and that we read the confidential text on the adhesive film after, if desired, having laid it flat on a solid surface whose color contrasts with the confidential inscription of the film adhesive. New method for preventing the adhesive film bearing the confidential inscription of the confidential document according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 from being able to be stuck on another support, characterized in that a non-stick layer is inserted on the surface directly above the redacted area, between the film proper and the adhesive.