Abstract: Apparatus and method for exposing a lithographic printing plate wherein the apparatus includes a plurality of laser diodes emitting light of wavelength between 350 nm and 450 nm. The light from each of the laser diodes is directed onto the lithographic printing plate such that each spot on the lithographic printing plate receives light emitted from at least one of the laser diodes. Preferably, the lithographic printing plate is a violet-sensitive lithographic member and the lithographic member is a printing press plate. The power of each laser diode may be between 5 mW and 30 mW, and preferably the laser diodes emit light of wavelength between 390 nm and 430 nm.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing substantially intimate rolling contact between a portion of a donor sheet and a portion of an acceptor element in a laser-induced thermal transfer printer comprises a rotatably mounted cylindrical drum, an acceptor element affixed to and supported by the cylindrical drum, a rotatably mounted dispensing roller for dispensing a donor sheet, and a rotatably mounted receiving roller for receiving the donor sheet, so that the donor sheet is extended between the dispensing roller and the receiving roller. A plurality of rotatably mounted contact rollers configured to bring a portion of the donor sheet extended between the dispensing roller and the receiving roller into contact with a portion of the acceptor element is also included. Alternatively, contact rollers need not be utilized, and the dispensing roller and receiving roller are configured to bring a portion of the donor sheet extended therebetween into contact with a portion of the acceptor element.

Abstract: The present invention provides an initiator system including an infrared-absorbing compound that exhibits an electronic transition band in the near-infrared region, an initiator, and a metallocene compound. Upon exposure to infrared radiation, the initiator system is capable of producing radicals sufficient to initiate a photopolymerization reaction. Suitable infrared-absorbing compounds include indocyanine dyes, for example. Trihalomethyl triazine compounds and onium compounds are suitable initiators. Suitable metallocene compounds include ferrocenes and titanocenes. The present invention also provides an infrared-sensitive composition including an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable component, an infrared-absorbing compound that exhibits an electronic transition band in the near-infrared region, an initiator, and a metallocene compound. The infrared-sensitive composition provides improved photospeed and sensitivity in some embodiments.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polymerizable coating composition suitable for the manufacture of printing plates, which may be developable on-press. The coating composition comprises (i) a polymerizable compound and (ii) a polymeric binder comprising polyethylene oxide segments, wherein the polymeric binder is selected from the group consisting of at least one graft copolymer comprising a main chain polymer and polyethylene oxide side chains, a block copolymer having at least one polyethylene oxide block and at least one non-polyethylene oxide block, and a combination thereof. The invention is also directed to an imageable element comprising a substrate and the polymerizable coating composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides an imageable composition, which includes an acid curable composition, an acid generator, a colorant having a counter anion derived from a non-volatile acid, and further optionally, an infrared absorber or photothermal converter material. The present invention further provides an imageable element, which includes a substrate and an imageable composition according to the present invention coated on a surface of the substrate. Also provided is method of producing an imaged element according to the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention also includes an imageable element, comprising a substrate and a thermally imageable composition comprising a thermally sensitive polymer which exhibits an increased solubility in an aqueous developer solution upon heating. The thermally sensitive polymer includes at least one covalently bonded unit and at least one thermally reversible non-covalently bonded unit, which includes a two or more centered H-bond within each of the non-covalently bonded unit. The present invention also includes a method of producing the imaged element. The present invention still further includes a thermally imageable composition comprising comprising a thermally sensitive polymer according to the present invention and a process for preparing the thermally sensitive polymer, which is a supramolecular polymer.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product that accepts raw polygon geometry and view parameters from the visualization API, sorts the polygons in back-to-front order, and then supplies the sorted triangles to graphics API such as OpenGL.

Abstract: Infrared absorbing compounds in which the anion is selected from the group consisting of 5-isatinsulfonate, 10-camphorsulfonate, and 4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzenedisulfonate are disclosed. Negative-working imageable elements containing these compounds have improved dot stability.

Abstract: QHB-Modified free radical polymerizable compounds and free radical polymerizable compositions that comprise these compounds are disclosed. A QBH-modified free radical polymerizable compound has at least one moiety that comprises at least one free radical polymerizable group; a supporting backbone, and at least one and preferably at least two moieties capable of forming four or more, typically four, hydrogen bonds with similar or complementary units on other molecules or portions of molecules. Free radical polymerizable compositions that contain these compounds may be used in any of the well-known applications for free radical polymerizable compositions. They are especially useful for the formation of imageable elements useful as lithographic printing plate precursors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polymerizable coating composition suitable for the manufacture of printing plates developable on-press. The coating composition comprises (i) a polymerizable compound and (ii) a polymeric binder comprising polyethylene oxide segments, wherein the polymeric binder is selected from the group consisting of at least one graft copolymer comprising a main chain polymer and polyethylene oxide side chains, a block copolymer having at least one polyethylene oxide block and at least one non-polyethylene oxide block, and a combination thereof. The invention is also directed to an imageable element comprising a substrate and the polymerizable coating composition.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for providing substantially intimate rolling contact between a portion of a donor sheet and a portion of an acceptor element in a laser-induced thermal transfer printer comprises a rotatably mounted cylindrical drum, an acceptor element affixed to and supported by the cylindrical drum, a rotatably mounted dispensing roller for dispensing a donor sheet, and a rotatably mounted receiving roller for receiving the donor sheet, so that the donor sheet is extended between the dispensing roller and the receiving roller. A plurality of rotatably mounted contact rollers configured to bring a portion of the donor sheet extended between the dispensing roller and the receiving roller into contact with a portion of the acceptor element is also included. Alternatively, contact rollers need not be utilized, and the dispensing roller and receiving roller are configured to bring a portion of the donor sheet extended therebetween into contact with a portion of the acceptor element.

Abstract: A method for making a relief printing plate from an imageable lithographic printing plate precursor. The relief printing plate has ink-receptive cured areas, and ink-repellent non-image areas. The method comprises the steps of: a) imaging the lithographic printing plate precursor to produce ink-receptive image areas and ink-repellent non-image areas; b) applying a curable composition to form a coating on ink-receptive image areas; and c) curing the coating to produce ink-receptive cured areas. The method of another embodiment further comprises the steps of: d) applying a curable composition to form a coating on ink-receptive cured areas; e) curing the coating on the cured areas; and f) repeating steps d) and e) to attain a desired relief depth for the ink-receptive cured areas. In the practice of an embodiment of the invention, a modified rotary printing press may be employed to make a relief printing plate from a lithographic printing plate.

Abstract: The present invention provides an imageable composition including an acid curable composition, an acid generator, an infrared absorber having a counter anion derived from a non-volatile acid, and a strong acid such as a sulfonic acid. The imageable composition may include components such as a crosslinkable binder or a colorant. In one embodiment, the imageable composition further includes a colorant having a counter anion derived from a non-volatile acid. The present invention further provides an imageable element, which includes a substrate and an imageable coating on a surface of the substrate. Also provided is method of producing an imaged element according to the invention.

Abstract: A method for forming a printing plate from a printing plate precursor having a radiation-sensitive layer, sensitive to radiation in a first frequency spectrum such as the far or near infrared, and to radiation in a second frequency spectrum other than the first frequency spectrum such as visible or ultraviolet. The plate is exposed twice. Once to imaging radiation in the first frequency spectrum and again to radiation in the second frequency spectrum. The second frequency spectrum exposure is done only to the areas of the plate undesirably shaded during the imagewise exposure.

Abstract: The present invention provides an imageable element including a lithographic substrate and an imageable layer disposed on the substrate. The imageable layer includes a radically polymerizable component, an initiator system capable of generating radicals sufficient to initiate a polymerization reaction upon exposure to imaging radiation, and a polymeric binder having a hydrophobic backbone and including both constitutional units having a pendant cyano group attached directly to the hydrophobic backbone, and constitutional units having a pendant group including a hydrophilic poly(alkylene oxide) segment. When the imageable element is imaged and developed, the resulting printing plate may exhibit improved on-press solvent resistance and longer press life.

Abstract: The present invention provides an infrared-sensitive composition including an initiator system comprising: (a) an infrared absorbing compound; (b) a radical producing compound; and (c) a carboxylic acid co-initiator compound. In some embodiments of the invention, the co-initiator is a monocarboxylic acid. In other embodiments of the present invention, the co-initiator is a polycarboxylic acid. The infrared-sensitive composition further includes a polymeric binder and a free radical polymerizable system consisting of at least one member selected from unsaturated free radical polymerizable monomers, oligomers which are free radical polymerizable, and polymers containing C═C bonds in the back bone and/or in the side chain groups. In some embodiments of the present invention, the acid number of the polymeric binder is 70 mg KOH/g or less. The present invention further provides a printing plate precursor, a process for preparing the printing plate and a method of producing an image.

Abstract: The present invention provides an imageable element including a lithographic substrate and an imageable layer disposed on the substrate. The imageable layer includes a radically polymerizable component, an initiator system capable of generating radicals sufficient to initiate a polymerization reaction upon exposure to imaging radiation, and a polymeric binder having a hydrophobic backbone and including both constitutional units having a pendant cyano group attached directly to the hydrophobic backbone, and constitutional units having a pendant group including a hydrophilic poly(alkylene oxide) segment. The invention also provides a method for preparing a suitable polymeric binder. The method comprises contacting a combination of co-monomers in a solvent mixture consisting essentially of a (C1-C6) alkanol and water.

Abstract: A direct-to-press imaging method comprises: (a) applying an imageable coating to a printing cylinder, wherein the imageable coating comprises a composition such as a thermally switchable polymer which changes affinity for a printing fluid upon exposure to imaging radiation such as infrared radiation delivered imagewise via a laser, and the imageable coating is substantially insoluble in the printing fluid; (b) imagewise exposing the imageable coating to actinic radiation to obtain an imaged coating; (c) printing a plurality of copies of an image from the imaged coating; and (d) reapplying the imageable coating as desired by repeating steps (a) through (c) at least once without substantially removing the prior imaged coating before reapplying the imageable coating.

Abstract: A positive working, multi-layer thermally imageable element is disclosed. The element comprises a substrate, an underlayer, and a top layer. The top layer comprises a crosslinked polymeric material. The element may be thermally imaged and developed to form a lithographic printing plate.

Abstract: The present invention provides an imageable element, which includes: a substrate; a crosslinked layer disposed on the substrate; and an imageable ink-receptive layer disposed on the crosslinked layer, the imageable ink-receptive layer including an ablation free imageable composition. The present invention provides methods of producing the above imaged element.