Metal plated plastic base intaglio printing cylinders & plates and method of manufacture

Image ready gravure printing apparatus comprising:

• A. a pre-formed substantially solid, rigid and compression resistant supporting base plate of substantially uniform thickness
• (a) consisting essentially of stress free plastic material homogeneously disposed throughout said base;
• and
• (b) having a substantially completely smooth, impression-fee surface;
• and
• B. an etchable metal layer of uniform thickness affixed to the smooth surface of said supporting base plate, whereby said image ready apparatus can be maintained as a stock item, ready for imaging and etching.

A gravure printing plate comprising:

• A. a substantially solid, rigid and compression resistant flat supporting base plate of substantially uniform thickness consisting essentially of a nonetchable homogeneous, stress free, plastic material with at least one substantially completely smooth, impression-free surface;
• B. an etchable metal plate of uniform thickness affixed solely to the smooth surface of said plastic base plate;
• and
• C. printing information etched into said metal.

A gravure printing plate having over the etch volume, a greatly enhanced control comprising:

• A. a substantially solid, rigid and compression resistant flat supporting base plate of substantially uniform thickness consisting essentially of a nonetchable, homogeneous, stress free, plastic material having
• (a) a top surface which is substantially completely smooth and impression-free, and
• (b) a bottom, mounting surface comprising a yieldable plastic material adapted for receiving deformation upon contact with any foreign material when entrapped between said surface and any surface to which the surface is affixed;
• and
• B. an etchable metal plate
• (a) affixed solely to the top surface of said plastic base, and
• (b) comprising a uniform thickness which is substantially equivalent to the desired, nominal etch depth for gravure printing information;
• and
• (C) gravure printing information etched into said metal with enhanced etch volume control since the nominal etch depth for most of said information is incapable of being exceeded.

A process for manufacturing gravure printing apparatus comprising the steps of:

• A. forming a supporting base of substantially solid, rigid, compression resistant, homogeneous and stress free material of uniform thickness;
• B. affixing an etchable metal layer of uniform thickness to at least one surface of said plastic base;
• and
• C. transferring the desired gravure image into said metal.

A process for manufacturing an image ready transfer gravure plate comprising the steps of:

• A. forming an elongated plastic supporting base of substantially solid, rigid, compression resistant, homogeneous and stress free material of uniform thickness;
• B. affixing an etchable metal layer of uniform thickness onto at least one surface of said plastic base;
• and
• C. trimming said metal-coated plastic base to a desired size.

The new use of a plastic base printing plate as a gravure plate comprising the steps of:

• A. forming a supporting plastic base of substantially solid, rigid, compression resistant, homogeneous and stress free material of uniform thickness;
• B. affixing an etchable metal layer of uniform thickness to at least one surface of said plastic base;
• and
• C. transferring the desired gravure image onto said metal.