Agfa Gevaert Nv

Afga-gevaert Aktiengesellschaft

Karin Maerz

Fritz-Feo Grabley

Andreas Elsaesser

Hans-Joachim Schlosser

Mathias Eichhorn

Helmut Haberhauer

A recording material for producing offset printing plates includes: a support having a hydrophilic surface, and an infrared-imageable layer including a) a component which is capable of absorbing infrared radiation and converting the infrared radiation to heat, b) a compound which is capable of releasing acid under the action of the heat generated by component a), and c) a polymeric binder having at least one group which is cleaved by the acid released from the compound b), and at least one hydrophilic group, and wherein the layer becomes soluble in an aqueous-alkaline developer in areas struck by infrared radiation.

Infrared-imageable recording material and offset printing plates produced from it

The invention relates to a recording material having a substrate and a radiation-sensitive, water-insoluble layer which contains a component absorbing IR radiation and which, after the action of infrared radiation, becomes soluble or at least swellable in an aqueous alkaline developer. A top layer which is opaque to white light but transparent to radiation in the IR range and can be removed with water or an aqueous solution is present on the radiation-sensitive layer. The recording material is substantially insensitive to daylight. By imagewise exposure to IR radiation and subsequent development with an aqueous alkaline developer, it is possible to produce a printing plate for offset printing from the recording material. If the top layer is washed off beforehand, the recording can also be carried out using conventional UV radiation.

Thermally recordable material insensitive to white light

Growing community of inventors

Gross-Gerau, Germany

Karin Maerz