# US 2013/0251920 A1 · Inkjet-printable flexography substrate, method of making, and method of using

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- Number: US 2013/0251920 A1
- Document ID: US20130251920A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/618,507
- Filed: 2012-09-14
- Published: 2013-09-26
- Earliest claimed: 2010-09-30
- Assignees: Chemence Medical, Inc.
- Inventors: Peter D. Battisti; Joseph F. Rach; John P. Maneira
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130251920A1

## CPC

- B41N 1/12: non-metallic other than stone {, e.g. printing plates or foils comprising inorganic materials in an organic matrix (B41N1/003, B41N1/006 take precedence)}
- G03F 1/68: Preparation processes not covered by groups G03F1/20 - G03F1/50
- G03F 7/2018: {Masking pattern obtained by selective application of an ink or a toner, e.g. ink jet printing}
- G03F 7/2032: {Simultaneous exposure of the front side and the backside}
- Y10T 428/1476: Release layer
- B41N: PRINTING PLATES OR FOILS (photosensitive material G03); MATERIALS FOR SURFACES USED IN PRINTING MACHINES FOR PRINTING, INKING, DAMPING, OR THE LIKE; PREPARING SUCH SURFACES FOR USE AND CONSERVING THEM
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A flexography substrate for making I-plates with liquid photopolymers has, in addition to the tie-coat applied to one side to hold the photopolymers in place on the substrate, an adhesive layer applied to the other side. A clear release liner is applied to the adhesive layer, the adhesive layer adhering less firmly to the release liner than to the substrate. An inkjet-receptive coating is applied to the clear release liner. The masking image for the I-plate is applied to the clear release liner using an inkjet printer. After the substrate has been used to make a flexographic plate, the release liner is peeled off of the adhesive layer. The flexographic plate can then be applied to a print roll without the step of manually applying adhesive to it.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A laminate for use as a flexography substrate, comprising:
a flexible backing sheet having a first surface and a parallel second surface;
a tie-coat bonded to the first surface and an adhesive layer bonded to the second surface;
the adhesive layer covering a portion of the second surface;
a flexible release liner having a third surface and a parallel fourth surface;
the third surface releasably bonded to the adhesive layer; and
the fourth surface comprising a material that is inkjet-receptive.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The laminate of claim 1, wherein:
said material is the chemical composition of said flexible release liner.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The laminate of claim 1, wherein:
said material is a coating applied to said fourth surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The laminate of claim 3, wherein:
said coating is taken from the list of:
(a) a polymer, and
(b) a micro-porous coating.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The laminate of claim 1, further comprising:
a printed image of inkjet ink on said material.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The laminate of claim 5 in which:
said printed image has a minimum opacity of 3.0 when dry.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

A method of making the laminate of claim 4, comprising the steps of:
(a) applying said tie-coat to said first surface and said adhesive layer to said second surface, in either order,
(b) applying said third surface to said adhesive layer,
(c) applying said coating to said fourth surface, and
(d) applying said printed image on said coating.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, in which:
steps (c) and (d) are performed before step (a).

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

A method of making the laminate of claim 5, comprising the steps of:
(a) applying said tie-coat to said first surface and said adhesive layer to said second surface, in either order,
(b) applying said third surface to said adhesive layer,
(c) applying said printed image on said fourth surface.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, in which:
steps (b) and (c) are performed before step (a).

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A method of using the laminate of claim 1 to make a flexographic l-plate, comprising the steps of:
(a) printing an image on said fourth surface;
(b) placing a relief image negative on the bottom glass of a UV exposure unit;
(c) placing a layer of liquid photopolymer layer adjacent to the relief image negative;
(d) placing said tie-coat of the laminate of claim 1 in contact with the upper surface of the liquid photopolymer layer;
(e) shining polymerizing light through the laminate of claim 1 to form polymerized island floor areas in the layer of liquid photopolymer and bond them to said tie-coat; and
(f) shining polymerizing light through the relief image negative to form a polymerized relief image in the liquid photopolymer between the polymerized island floor areas and the protective sheet and bonded to the floor areas.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1, 11)

The method of claim 11, comprising the additional steps of:
(g) removing said laminate of claim 1 with polymerized island floor areas and relief images bonded to it from the UV exposure unit;
(h) removing un-polymerized liquid photopolymer from said laminate and curing said polymerized areas; and
(i) removing said flexible release liner from said adhesive layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 4)

A method of using the laminate of claim 4 to make a flexographic l-plate, comprising the steps of:
(a) printing an image on said coating;
(b) placing a relief image negative on the bottom glass of a UV exposure unit;
(c) placing a layer of liquid photopolymer layer adjacent to the relief image negative;
(d) placing said tie-coat of the laminate of claim 4 in contact with the upper surface of the liquid photopolymer layer;
(e) shining polymerizing light through the laminate of claim 4 to form polymerized island floor areas in the layer of liquid photopolymer and bond them to said tie-coat; and
(f) shining polymerizing light through the relief image negative to form a polymerized relief image in the liquid photopolymer between the polymerized island floor areas and the protective sheet and bonded to the floor areas.

### Claim 14 (depends on 4, 13)

The method of claim 13, comprising the additional steps of:
(g) removing said laminate of claim 4 with polymerized island floor areas and relief images bonded to it from the UV exposure unit;
(h) removing un-polymerized liquid photopolymer from said laminate and curing said polymerized areas; and
(i) removing said flexible release liner from said adhesive layer.

### Claim 15

A laminate for use as a flexography substrate, comprising:
a flexible backing sheet having a tie-coat bonded to one surface and an adhesive layer bonded to the opposing surface;
the adhesive layer covering a portion of the opposing surface of the flexible backing sheet;
a flexible release liner having a first surface bonded to the adhesive layer; and
a second surface comprising a material that is inkjet-receptive.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The laminate of claim 15, wherein:
said material is the chemical composition of said flexible release liner.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The laminate of claim 15, wherein:
said material is a coating applied to said fourth surface.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The laminate of claim 17, wherein:
said coating is taken from the list of:
(a) a polymer, and
(b) a micro-porous coating.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The laminate of claim 18, wherein:
said image has a minimum opacity of 3.0.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The laminate of claim 18, in which:
said coating is a water-based coating compatible with water-based inkjet inks.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The laminate of claim 20, in which:
said flexible backing sheet is UV-transparent plastic.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The laminate of claim 21, in which:
said plastic is polyester.

### Claim 23 (depends on 3)

The laminate of claim 3, in which:
said coating is a water-based coating compatible with water-based inkjet inks.

### Claim 24 (depends on 3)

The laminate of claim 3, in which:
said flexible backing sheet is UV-transparent plastic.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The laminate of claim 24, in which:
said plastic is polyester.