Eastman-kodak Company

Kodak Polychrome Graphics, Gmbh

Scott Wertz

Jianbing Huang

Paul R West

Heidi M Munnelly

Nicki R Miller

Livia T Memetea

Lithographic printing plates can be prepared with enhanced contrast between the image and background by coloring the imaged or exposed regions using a coloring fluid containing a water-insoluble colorant (dye or pigment) and an organic solvent that swells the imaged regions sufficiently for the colorant to be embedded or diffused therein.

Preparing lithographic printing plates with enhanced contrast

A method for reducing start up blinding in no-process lithographic printing plates is disclosed. An imageable element, comprising an imageable layer over a substrate, is thermally imaged. The imageable layer comprises a thermally sensitive polymer that comprises quaternary ammonium salts of carboxylic acids. Following imaging, the surface of the imaged imageable is contacted with an aqueous solution comprising 0.05 wt % to about 5 wt % of an added organic acid having a pKa of about 1 to about 6. This reduces the amount of waste produced by the printing process by reducing the number of unusable sheets produced during the 'make ready' process.

Method for reducing start up blinding in no-process lithographic printing plates

Growing community of inventors

Greeley, CO, United States of America

Scott Wertz