The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 22, 2016
Filed:
Nov. 15, 2013
Macdermid Printing Solutions, Llc, Waterbury, CT (US);
Kyle P. Baldwin, Acworth, GA (US);
Ryan W. Vest, Cumming, GA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A method of controlling surface roughness of a flexographic printing element during thermal processing is provided. An imaged and exposed relief image printing element is thermally developed to remove the portions of at least one layer of photopolymer that are not crosslinked and cured by using a blotting material. The blotting material is separated from the at least one layer of photopolymer. Thereafter, a smooth material is inserted between the surface of the at least one layer of photopolymer and the blotting material, applying pressure and heat. In the alternative, after the relief image printing element is removed from the thermal processor, a polymeric film is laminated onto the relief image printing element using heat and pressure. The surface roughness of the relief image printing element is reduced, allowing for increased solid ink density on solid areas printed using the relief image printing element.