Press element and method for manufacturing press elements

A method for manufacturing a structured press element, wherein the method comprises at least the following steps:

• providing a metallic base element;
• applying a mask on a surface of the metallic base element, wherein the mask has a certain resistance to a surface treatment so as to cover the surface at least temporarily from the surface treatment at a level of the mask;
• carrying out the surface treatment;
• wherein said mask has a heterogeneous build, and at least the build determines an extent of said resistance to the surface treatment;
• wherein the mask divides said surface of the metallic base element into one or more shielded portions, on which the mask is located, and one or more non-shielded portions, on which there is no mask, and wherein the mask comprises one or more edge portions and one or more internal portions, wherein the one or more internal portions are each completely surrounded vertically by one or more adjoining edge portions, and the one or more edge portions extend between one or more adjoining non-shielded portions of the surface, and one or more adjoining internal portions of the mask, wherein the build of the mask is at a level of at least the edge portion, the resistance to the surface treatment increases gradually, from a respective adjoining non-shielded portion to a respective adjoining internal portion;
• wherein the method comprises one or more of the following features, provided these are not incompatible;
• the mask is made from at least one curable substance, wherein a degree of cure at the level of an aforementioned edge portion is lower than the degree of cure at the level of a respective adjoining internal portion;
• the aforementioned one or more portions all have an identical first chemical composition and the aforementioned one or more internal portions all have an identical second chemical composition, wherein the first chemical composition is less resistant to the surface treatment than the second chemical composition;
• the mask is at least printed on the surface, use is made of at least two printheads, each being intended to print with an ink with a different composition, in order to print a heterogeneous mask, wherein the edge portions are printed with a first of said at least two printheads and the internal portions are printed with a second of said at least two printheads.