Method including treatment of ink on a plate to cause hardening at other than the ink outer surface before printing

A method of printing a pattern on a print object, sequentially comprising the steps of:

• coating a printing surface of a printing plate with a vinyl polymerization inhibitor;
• applying to said printing surface a pattern of setting ink which undergoes an irreversible chemical reaction causing hardening thereof when subjected to a physical treatment, said setting ink comprising, as a principal component, a resin which has an acryl radical or a methacryl radical, and said setting ink hardens by vinyl polymerization;
• subjecting said pattern to said physical treatment to thereby cause said irreversible chemical reaction and harden a portion of said pattern other than an outer surface part thereof such that said hardened portion of said pattern is sufficient to maintain an overall shape of said pattern;
• and
• contacting said printing surface of said printing plate to a print object to thereby transfer said pattern to said print object, whereby said hardened portion of said pattern maintains said overall shape of said pattern during and after the transfer from said printing plate to said print object;
• wherein said outer surface part of said ink pattern which is exposed to atmospheric air while on said printing plate, after being subjected to said physical treatment, is incompletely hardened and thus retains tackiness.