J P Imaging Limited

Shenzhen Zhong Chuang Green Plate Technology Co., Ltd.

Liu, Dun

John David Adamson

Peter Andrew Reath Bennett

Rodney Martin Potts

Dun Liu

Richard Arthur Hutchinson

A method of roughening a surface of a printing form precursor. The method comprises subjecting at least a part of the surface to energy in the form of pulses of electromagnetic radiation to produce a uniformly hydrophilic roughened surface on at least a part of the printing form precursor and optionally converting the uniformly hydrophilic roughened surface of the printing form precursor to a uniformly hydrophobic roughened surface. The method is useful for providing a surface for use in a subsequent imaging and/or printing process in lithographic printing. Methods of providing a printing form comprising an image formed of hydrophobic regions and hydrophilic regions using said method and a method of printing using said method are also described, as are printing forms so produced and imaging devices and apparatus for carrying out the said methods.

Methods of roughening a surface of a printing form precursor and printing using a roughened printing form precursor

A method of imaging printing plates uses a single imaging device having at least one laser delivering, in an imagewise manner, pulsed electromagnetic energy of pulse duration not greater than 1&#xd7;10seconds. Such an imaging method permits the imaging of a plurality of types of printing plates irrespective of any sensitised imaging chemistry contained in their coatings.

Printing

A method of preparing a printing form precursor for printing, or a printed circuit board precursor or a semiconductor precursor, the method comprising the step of applying electromagnetic radiation having a pulse duration of not greater than 1&#xd7;10seconds, in an imagewise manner, to an imagable surface of the precursor. The imaging process may cause ablation of the coating of the precursor or permit its development in a developer. In each case the imaging radiation needs not be tuned to imaging chemistry (if any) present in the coating. Alternatively the imaging process may induce a change of hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity, or other change of state, of an uncoated substrate.

Relating to printing

A printing form precursor comprises a printing surface which comprises an inorganic metal compound, the printing surface being hydrophobic and capable of being made hydrophilic by energy but capable of becoming hydrophobic again, for reuse, if desired. An associated method of printing includes steps of subjecting the printing surface imagewise to energy so as to locally increase its hydrophilicity sufficient to make the surface differentiated in its acceptance of an oleophilic a printing ink; applying the ink to the printing surface and printing from the printing surface; causing or allowing the printing surface to undergo a reduction in hydrophilicity sufficient again to make the printing surface uniform in its acceptance of a printing ink; and, if wished, repeating these steps on multiple occasions. Thus the invention achieves the goal of providing a printing form precursor which does not need a chemical developer, and which can be used multiple times, to print different images.

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Cumbria, United Kingdom

John David Adamson