Imageable elements useful for waterless printing
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsOphira Melamed, Jianbing Huang, Efrat Konstantini, Eynat Matzner
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AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsOphira Melamed, Jianbing Huang, Efrat Konstantini, Eynat Matzner
Estimating the term…
A non-ablative negative-working imageable element has first and second polymeric layers under a crosslinked silicone rubber layer. These elements can be used in a simple method to provide lithographic printing plates useful for waterless printing (no fountain solution). Processing after imaging is relatively simple using either water or an aqueous solution containing very little organic solvent to remove the imaged regions. The crosslinked silicone rubber layer is ink-repelling and only the first layer that is closest to the substrate contains an infrared radiation absorbing compound to provide thermal sensitivity.
A non-ablative imageable element comprising a substrate having thereon, in order:
A non-ablative imageable element comprising a substrate having thereon, in order:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Silicon-containing compounds: in non photosensitive layers or as additives, e.g. for dry lithography
For lithographic printing; Master sheets for transferring a lithographic image to the forme: by removal or destruction of lithographic material on…
Lithographic printing: dry printing
Printing plates or foils; Materials therefor: with ink abhesive means or abhesive forming means, such as abhesive siloxane or fluoro compounds,…
About 3 years 2 months of term left · ends 29 Dec 2029 (estimated)
This invention provides a non-ablative imageable element that can be imaged without ablation and developed with water or a simple aqueous solution and then used for “waterless” printing. This invention also provides a method of using such non-ablative imageable elements.
In conventional or “wet” lithographic printing, ink receptive regions, known as image areas, are generated on a hydrophilic surface. When the surface is moistened with water and ink is applied, the hydrophilic regions retain the water and repel the ink, and the ink receptive regions accept the ink and repel the water. The ink is transferred to the surface of a material upon which the image is to be reproduced. For example, the ink can be first transferred to an intermediate blanket that in turn is used to transfer the ink to the surface of the material upon which the image is to be reproduced.
Waterless printing plates have been known and used since 1970. These printing plates can be used for printing without the need for dampening water (fountain solution) on-press. Most waterless printing plates involve an ink-repelling layer such as a silicone layer overlying a radiation-sensitive layer and substrate that are more ink-receptive. Some details of waterless printing and its advantages are provided, for example, at www.wateress.org that is a web site for the Waterless Printing Association.
Definitions
Unless the context indicates otherwise, when used herein, the terms “non-ablative imageable element”, “imageable element” and “printing plate precursor” are meant to be references to embodiments of the present invention.
In addition, unless the context indicates otherwise, the various components described herein such as “first polymeric binder”, “second polymeric binder”, “radiation absorbing compound”, “IR dye”, “polysiloxane material”, “silane crosslinking agent”, “polydimethylsiloxane”, “catalyst”, “adhesion promoter”, and similar terms also refer to mixtures of such components. Thus, the use of the article “a” or “an” is not necessarily meant to refer to only a single component.