Kodak Polychrome Graphics, Gmbh

J P Imaging Limited

Shenzhen Zhong Chuang Green Plate Technology Co., Ltd.

Kodak Polychrome Graphics Company Ltd.

Liu, Dun

Peter Andrew Reath Bennett

Kevin Barry Ray

John David Adamson

Anthony Paul Kitson

Rodney Martin Potts

Christopher David McCullough

Gareth Rhodri Parsons

Carole-Anne Smith

Stuart Bayes

David Stephen Riley

John David Riches

Richard David Hoare

James Laurence Mulligan

Alan Stanley Monk

Mark John Spowage

Alan Stanley Victor Monk

John Andrew Hearson

Martyn Lott

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.

Method of printing using a reimageable printing plate with an aluminum oxide surface

A positive working printing form precursor comprises a thermally imagable composition which includes a hydroxyl group-containing polymer, for example a novolak resin. The composition has a weight of less than 1.1 gm. It has been found that using a low weight of the composition on the precursor improves the properties of the precursor, in particular by rendering the sensitivity of the precursor to imaging radiation less variable over time.

Lithographic printing form and method of preparation and use thereof

A method of making a mask or an electronic part, for example a printed circuit, comprises the steps of delivering heat in a desired pattern to a precursor of the mask or electronic part, the precursor comprising a surface coated with a coating, the coating comprising a heat-sensitive composition itself comprising an aqueous developer soluble polymeric substance and a compound which reduces the aqueous developer solubility of the polymeric substance, wherein the aqueous developer solubility of the composition is not increased by incident UV radiation but is increased by the delivery of heat; then developing the precursor to remove the heat-sensitive composition in regions to which the heat was delivered. In the case of a printed circuit precursor the surface may be then etched in conventional manner to yield the required printed circuit.

Method of making masks and electronic parts

Pattern formation

A composition used as a resist in the manufacture of electronic parts, for example printed circuits, and which is rendered soluble in a developer by pattemwise delivery of heat, comprises a polymer and optionally an infrared absorbing compound. However in contrast to conventional compositions no compound is present which alters the solubility of the polymer in an aqueous developer.

Method for manufacture of electronic parts

A composition used as a resist in the manufacture of electronic parts, for example printed circuits, and which is rendered soluble in a developer by patternwise delivery of heat, comprises a polymer of general formula (I), wherein R represents a hydrogen atom or alkyl group, R represents a hydrogen atom or alkyl group, R represents a hydrogen atom or alkyl group, and R represents hydroxyalkyl group, and wherein the ratio n/m is in the range 10/1 to 1/10.

There is described a method of preparing a positive working water-less lithographic plate which comprises a support having an oleophilic surface, there being coated on the support a mixture which comprises as one component an ink-repellant and water-repellant polymer or a mixture of such polymers or polymer precursors, and as the other essential component of the mixture an infra-red or heat sensitive composition selected from (a) an organic solvent soluble diazo compound and an infra-red absorbing compound, (b) a photopolymer and an infra-red absorbing dye, or (c) a mixture of a free-radically polymerisable ethylenically unsaturated compound or compounds together with either a photoinitiator which is infra-red sensitive or an initiator which is heat sensitive together with an infra-red absorbing compound, the ratio of ink-repellant polymer to infra-red or heat sensitive composition (a), (b) or (c) in the mixture being from 20-80 ink repellant polymer to 80-20 infra-red or heat sensitive composition by weight, imagewise acting on the coated mixture, developing the acted on mixture with the appropriate developing solution depending on the composition (a), (b) or (c) used, to remove the composition and the water-repellant polymer in the unacted on areas to reveal the oleophilic surface of the support in the unacted on areas of the plate and leaving the coated mixture in the acted on areas of the plate.

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West Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Peter Andrew Reath Bennett