This disclosure relates generally to a folding postcard with multiple image segment panels structured for folding the postcard to adhere to postal mailing requirements and provide a sealing method using applicable postage tokens or stamps.
“Rare Postcards Reveal Early 20th Century Panoramas”, by Allison Meier, May 13, 2013, found Jan. 10, 2022, https://hyperallergic.com/70938/ illustrates panoramic postcards locations throughout the world in a wide frame. Usually folding for more compact delivery, these broad little views offered expansive looks at landscapes and accommodated views of the world, such as panoramic views of mountains, deserts, and wild areas of the world as well as skyscrapers or massive sea vessels.”
As described in
As noted in “Creasing and Scoring,” scoring is also used to create a bending point for optimum folding of paper or cardboard. However, scoring does not reshape the material. Material is taken off at the score, thus reducing the thickness by removing a wedge-shaped strip of rectangular paper or a cardboard chip.
An object of this disclosure is to provide a folding postcard having a panoramic image imprinted on a first face of a quadrate print material. The quadrate print material is chosen from print materials, including heavyweight paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, wood, or other suitable material. The postcard is divided into image segment panels that have scorings for facilitating folding image panels upon themselves to create a mailable or shippable package from the panoramic image imprinted on the quadrate print material.
Another object of this disclosure is to provide a method to determine the dimensions of image segment panels imprinted on the quadrate print material such that a first and third image segment panel allows the folded panoramic image imprinted on the quadrate print material to be folded and sealed with an adhesive postage token or stamp. The length of the first image segment panel is reduced by a fractional amount determined by the area to adhere to an adhesive postage token or stamp. The length of a second image segment is equal to the average length of the image segment panels. The length of the remaining image segment panels is decreased by a fractional amount to ensure that the folding postcard is folded and each of the image segment panels is folded relatively flat.
To accomplish at least one of these objects, a number of the image segment panels is chosen such that the size of the folded quadrate print material with the affixed panoramic image meets the requirements of the mode of transportation to be used. The aspect ratio of a master panoramic image and the chosen length of the postcard determines the width of each image segment panel. The average length of the image segment panels is determined as the chosen length of the folding postcard divided by a chosen number of the image segment panels. The length of the first image segment panel from the first end of the panoramic postcard is determined as the average length of the image segment panels decreased by a fractional amount determined by an area necessary to adhere the postage token or stamp.
The fixed percentage for determining the length of the first image segment panel provides sufficient area to allow the adhesive postage token or stamp to adhere sufficiently to the first image segment panel and a third image segment panel. The length of the second image segment panel is set to be the average length of the image segment panels.
The lengths of the third image segment panel through the last image segment panel at a second end of the quadrate sheet with the affixed panoramic image are determined as the length of the previous image segment panel decreased by a small percentage.
A scoring mark is placed at a boundary between each image panel. The scoring mark permits each panel to fold precisely. Once the panoramic image imprinted on the quadrate print material is folded, the first and third image panels receive an adhesive postage token or stamp to seal the folded panoramic image imprinted on the quadrate print material for transportation.
The master image is formed by creating a single panoramic image covering an area's wide and unbroken view. Many modern digital cameras, such as a digital single-lens reflex camera, a smart cellular telephones, or the like, incorporate a panorama mode of operation. Alternately, a series of images with a standard camera aspect ratio can be created and stitched together with known photo manipulating software to form the panoramic image. The desired dimensions are chosen according to the aspect ratio of the panoramic image. One of the dimensions (height or length) is chosen, and the other dimension is calculated from the aspect ratio. The quadrate print material 110 is chosen from a group of print materials, including heavyweight paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, wood, or other suitable print material. One or multiple images are imprinted on the quadrate printing material. The number of image segment panels 125a-125e is determined by the desired size of the folded postcard 100. The scoring of the image is accomplished by a scoring machine that is available in the industry and known in the art. The printing material 110 with the imprinted image 105 is divided into image panels 125a-125e. The boundaries between the image panels 125a-125e are scored 120a-120d by the scoring machine to permit the folding of the postcard 100. The first image segment panel 125a has an area 130a1, and the third image segment panel 125c has an area 130a2 that receives a postage token or stamp or stamp when the postcard is folded.
The backside of the first image segment panel 125a has a receiving address area 130b and a return address area 130c. The backside of the second image segment panel 125b is allocated for a manufacturer identifier 130e, a product barcode 130f, and a scene title 130g. The remaining image panels 125d and 125e are available for a private message from a sending person to a receiving person. While the manufacturer identifier 130e, the product barcode 130f, and the scene title 130g are described as being allocated to the second image segment panel 125b, any of the image segment panels 125 may have any of the manufacturer identifier 130e, the product barcode 130f, and the scene title 130g an still be in keeping with the principles of the present disclosure
In
Referring to
Refer now to
The length of the first image segment panel 125a may be a first percentage less than the average length of the image segment panels 125a-125e. The first percentage is approximately 95% and is chosen to be dependent upon the area required of the first image segment panel 125a to receive a fraction of the width of the postal token or stamp. In the United States, a first-class stamp has a width of 0.870″ to 1.255″. The shrinkage of the first segment panel 125a would be approximately 0.5″ of the distance of the width of the chosen postal token or stamp.
The length of the second image segment panel 125b is determined (Box 365) to be the average length of the image segment panels 125a-125e.
The length of each of the remaining N image segment panels 125a-125e is determined (Box 370) by the following steps. An image segment counter ISC is set (Box (375) to the number of segment panels (N) less the number (2) for the first two segment panels. In this example, N=5, and therefore, the image segment counter is set to three (3). The third segment panel's 125c length is set (Box 380) to the average length of an image segment panel 125a-125e and decreased by a second shrinkage factor (approximately 1%). The image segment counter is tested (Box 385) If it equals the number (N) of image segment panels. If the image segment counter is not equal to the number of image segment panels 125a-125e, the image segment counter is incremented (Box 390). The current image segment panel 125c is set (Box 380) to be the average length of an image segment panel 125a-125e decreased by a second shrinkage factor (again approximately 1%). The image segment counter is again tested (Box 385). If it is equal to the number (N) of image segment panels, and when the image segment counter is equal to the number (N) of image segment panels, the determining (Box 379) image segment panel sizes are completed.
The scoring pattern 120a-120d is now determined (395) as being set at each boundary between adjoining image segment panels. Returning to
The scoring pattern 120a-120d for the image segment panels 125a-125e is defined (Box 310) to allocate regions on quadrate print material for the panoramic image panels 100.
The image segment panels are numbered from 1 to 5. As described above, the first panel is fixed at the average length of the image segment panels 125a-125e decreased by 5%. The second image segment panel 125b length is set to the average length of the image segment panels 125a-125e or 6.5″. The third image segment panel's 125c length is calculated to be the length of the second image segment panel 125b decreased by the second shrinkage factor of 1% to be 6.48. The fourth image segment panel's length 125d is calculated to be the length of the third image segment panel 125c decreased by the second shrinkage factor of 1% to be 6.41. The fifth image segment panel's length is calculated to be the length of the fourth image segment panel 125c decreased by the second shrinkage factor of 1% to be 6.35. The calculated image segment panel lengths are then summed together to determine the actual length of the folding panoramic postcard to be 32.0″ as chosen. As described above, the scoring lines will be at the boundaries of the image segment panels.
While this disclosure has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.