Agfa Graphics Nv

Agfa Nv

Alexander Williamson

Paul R Callant

Marc Irene Van Damme

Hieronymus Andriessen

Hubertus Van Aert

Peter Hendrikx

Willi-Kurt Gries

Jos Louwet

Sonny Wynants

Jan Venneman

Christel Geukens

Kristof Heylen

Joan Vermmersch

A lithographic printing plate precursor comprising an image-recording layer, said image-recording layer being photopolymerizable upon exposure to light having a wavelength of from 300 to 500 nm and containing a mixture of sensitizers.

Lithographic printing plate precursor

Disclosed is a method of making a lithographic printing plate which includes providing a lithographic printing plate precursor having a coating therein, image-wise exposing the coating, and developing the precursor. The coating includes (i) a contiguous photopolymerizable layer of a photopolymerizable composition or (ii) a contiguous intermediate layer with a photopolymerizable layer of a photopolymerizable composition thereon. The photopolymerizable composition includes a polymerizable compound, a polymerization initiator and a first polymer. The contiguous photopolymerizable layer or the contiguous intermediate layer also includes an adhesion promoting compound and a second polymer.

Method of making a lithographic printing plate

A heat-sensitive negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor comprising:

Negative working, heat-sensitive lithographic printing plate precursor

A method of preparing a lithographic printing plate in which no pre-heat step is used comprising the steps of:&#x2014;providing a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising a support and a photopolymerizable image-recording layer, the image-recording layer comprising a monomer and a binder;&#x2014;image-wise exposing the precursor in an exposure unit;&#x2014;off press developing the exposed precursor with an aqueous solution in a processing unit; characterized in that the ratio of the total amount of monomer to the total amount of binder is at least 1 and the time lapse between exposing an image-area of the precursor and contacting the image-area with the aqueous solution is at least 1 minute.

Method for preparing lithographic printing plate precursors

A method of making a lithographic printing plate includes the steps of a) providing a lithographic printing plate precursor including (i) a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer, (ii) a coating on the support including a photopolymerizable layer, and, optionally, an intermediate layer between the photopolymerizable layer and the support, b) image-wise exposing the coating in a plate setter, c) optionally, heating the precursor in a preheating unit, and d) developing the precursor off-press in a gumming unit by treating the coating of the precursor with a gum solution, thereby removing the non-exposed areas of the coating from the support, wherein the coating further includes a compound capable of interacting with the support, the compound being present in the photopolymerizable layer and/or in the intermediate layer.

A heat-sensitive imaging element includes an IR dye, and more particularly a heat-sensitive lithographic printing plate precursor includes the IR dye. A method for making the lithographic printing plate produces a print-out image of high contrast upon exposure to IR-radiation or heating.

Heat-sensitive imaging element

A method of making a lithographic printing plate includes the steps of: (a) providing a lithographic printing plate precursor including a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer, and a coating on the support, the coating including (i) at least one image-recording layer which includes a photocurable composition, and (ii) on top thereof, an oxygen-barrier layer including a water-soluble or water-swellable polymer, b) image-wise exposing the coating, (c) optionally, heating the precursor in a pre-heating unit, (d) treating the image-wise exposed precursor with water or an aqueous solution to remove at least a portion of the oxygen-barrier layer, (e) mounting the treated precursor on a plate cylinder of a lithographic printing press, and (f) developing the precursor by rotating the plate cylinder while feeding dampening liquid and/or ink to the coating, thereby removing non-exposed areas of the image-recording layer.

A method of making a lithographic printing plate includes the steps of a) providing a lithographic printing plate precursor including (i) a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer, (ii) a coating on the support including a photopolymerizable layer, and, optionally, an intermediate layer between the photopolymerizable layer and the support, wherein the photopolymerizable layer includes a polymerizable compound, a polymerization initiator, and a reactive binder; b) image-wise exposing the coating in a plate setter; c) optionally, heating the precursor in a pre-heating unit; d) developing the precursor off-press in a gumming unit by treating the coating of the precursor with a gum solution, thereby removing the non-exposed areas of the photopolymerizable layer from the support, wherein the reactive binder is a polymer containing a monomeric unit which includes a group having an ethylenically unsaturated bond.

A method of making a lithographic printing plate includes the steps of: a) providing a lithographic printing plate precursor including (i) a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer, (ii) a coating on the support including an imaging layer, and, optionally, an intermediate layer between the imaging layer and the support, wherein the imaging layer includes a switchable polymer, b) image-wise exposing the coating, whereby the polymer undergoes a chemical reaction induced by the exposing step thereby creating a lithographic image consisting of printing areas and non-printing areas wherein the non-printing areas are removable from the support by a gum solution, and c) developing the precursor by treating the coating of the precursor with the gum solution thereby removing the non-printing areas.

A composition that is photopolymerizable upon absorption of light and/or heat, the composition including a binder, a polymerizable compound, a sensitizer, and a photoinitiator, characterized in that the composition includes, with respect to its non-volatile compounds, at least about 0.01 wt.-% of a polythiol compound and has a very high sensitivity and hardness.

Photopolymerizable composition

A method of making a lithographic printing plate comprising the steps of:

Method of making a photopolymer printing plate

A composition that is photopolymerizable upon absorption of light and/or heat, the composition including a binder, a polymerizable compound, a sensitizer, and a photoinitiator, characterized in that the composition includes, with respect to its non-volatile compounds, at least about 0.01 wt. % of a polythiol compound, and wherein the composition when coated on a support has a sensitivity of about 150 &#x3bc;J/cmor higher, in combination with a high hardness.

New divinylfluorene compounds according to one of formulae (II) or (III): a new synthetic route to divinylfluorene compounds; and the use of the new compounds as sensitizers, optical brighteners and electroluminescent materials.

Growing community of inventors

Mortsel, Belgium

Alexander Williamson