Capstan driven virtual internal drum imagesetter

A method for recording an image onto a web-type image recording media in a virtual drum imaging system, comprising the steps of:

• transporting web-type image recording media through the imaging system;
• supporting the media in a curved form at an imaging station and forming a virtual drum having a radius of curvature in the media;
• scanning a focused modulated image recording beam across a curved surface of said virtual drum at the imaging station and forming a scan line;
• and
• transporting the media relative to the imaging station during scanning to form a series of adjacent scan lines;
• wherein the recording media is only curved immediately adjacent said scan line, the recording media remaining in a substantially flat configuration on opposing sides of said scan line.

An imaging system for recording an image onto image recording media, comprising:

• (a) a media transport system for displacing the image recording media through the imaging system;
• (b) a media imaging station for recording the image onto the recording media, the media imaging station having a curved support for supporting the recording media and for forming the recording media into a virtual drum having a radius of curvature, the media imaging station including a scanning system for scanning a recording beam across the virtual drum in a scan line, the media transport system displacing the recording media relative to the curved support to form a series of adjacent scan lines during scanning by the scanning system;
• and
• (c) a media tensioning system for tensioning the recording media while the transport system displaces the recording media through the imaging system, said tensioning system and said transport system providing feedback to a system controller to synchronize control of said tensioning system with said transport system to maintain tension in the recording media during displacement though said curved support.

An imaging system for recording an image onto image recording media, comprising:

• (a) a media transport system for displacing the image recording media through the imaging system;
• and
• (b) a media imaging station for recording the image onto the recording media, the media imaging station having a curved support for supporting the recording media and for forming the recording media into a virtual drum having a radius of curvature, the media imaging station including a scanning system for scanning a recording beam across the virtual drum in a scan line, the media transport system displacing the recording media relative to the curved support to form a series of adjacent scan lines during scanning by the scanning system;
• wherein said curved support comprises an upper surface and a lower surface adjacent to said upper surface with a space between said upper surface and said lower surface, the recording media passing through the curved support in the space between the upper and lower surfaces.

A method for recording an image onto a web-type image recording media in a virtual drum imaging system, comprising the steps of:

• transporting the image recording media through the imaging system;
• supporting the media in a curved form at an imaging station to form a virtual drum;
• scanning a focused modulated image recording beam across said virtual drum at the imaging station and forming a scan line;
• transporting the media relative to the imaging station during scanning to form a series of adjacent scan lines;
• and
• tensioning the media while transporting the media through the imaging station, and controlling the transportation and tensioning of the media with a system controller to maintain tension in the media during media transportation through the imaging system.

A prepress system comprising:

• (a) a processing system for creating an image file, and for converting the image file into a digital image;
• and
• (b) an output system for outputting the digital image onto recording media, the output system comprising a media transport system for transporting the recording media along a media path, a curved support for curving and supporting the recording media in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the media path, and a scanning system for scanning a recording beam across the curved recording media in a scan line, the media transport system transporting the recording media along the media path relative to the curved support during scanning by the scanning system to form a series of adjacent scan lines corresponding to the digital image;
• wherein the curved support is configured to only curve the recording media immediately adjacent the scan line, the recording media remaining in a substantially flat configuration on opposing sides of the curved support.