Quad/graphics, Inc.

Robert H Barton, Jr

John A Barndt

Terrill Scott Clayton

Paul G Volz

Monte J Rose

William T Graushar

Systems and methods for printing data on a substrate including a color-changeable material are provided. One system includes a processing circuit and a device including an energy source. At least a portion of a printed publication is printed on the substrate using a commercial printing press based on fixed data. The device including the energy source is configured to add variable data to the substrate. The processing circuit is configured to receive the variable data and to control the energy source to change a color of the color-changeable material based on the variable data to provide at least a portion of the printed publication. The processing circuit is configured to control the energy source to change the color of the color-changeable material in-line with a flow of the substrate through one of a printing line, a finishing line, or a packaging line of the commercial printing press.

Printing using color changeable material

Systems and methods for adding data to a printed publication are provided. One method includes receiving variable data and controlling an energy source to at least partially ablate the printed publication based on the variable data. The printed publication is printed on the substrate using the commercial printing press based on fixed data. Controlling the energy source to at least partially ablate the printed publication includes, after the printed publication has been printed on the substrate by the commercial printing press based on the fixed data, controlling the energy source to remove a portion of the printed publication based on the variable data.

System and method for adding data to a printed publication

Systems and methods for adding data to a printed publication are provided. One system comprises a data source for providing the data, a processing circuit, and an energy source. The processing circuit is configured to retrieve the data from the data source and to control the energy source to at least partially ablate the printed publication based on the data. The publication is printed by a web offset printing press as the substrate travels through a plurality of print units of the web offset printing press. The processing circuit is configured to control the energy source to ablate the printed publication in-line with its production on the print units.

In one embodiment, provided is a system for printing data on a flexible substrate that has a color-changeable materials associated therewith. The system comprises a data source that may be configured to provide data to be printed on the flexible substrate, a processing circuit, and an energy source. The processing circuit may be configured to retrieve the data from the data source and to control the energy source to change a color of the color-changeable material based on the retrieved data.

A system for adding data to a printed publication comprises a data source for providing the data, a processing circuit, and an energy source. The processing circuit is configured to retrieve the data from the data source and to control the energy source to at least partially ablate the printed publication based on the data. The data may be fixed and/or variable data.

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Waukesha, WI, United States of America

Robert H Barton, Jr