Abstract: A pigment dispersion comprising a color pigment represented by formula (I) wherein, R1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a halogen atom, a methyl group, an ethyl group, a methoxy group, an ethoxy group, —CF3, —COOH, —COOCH3 and R2, R4 and R5 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a halogen atom, a methyl group, an ethyl group, a methoxy group, an ethoxy group, —CF3, —COOH and —COOCH3; R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a halogen atom, a methyl group, an ethyl group, a methoxy group, an ethoxy group, —CF3, —COOH, —COOCH3, —SO2NH—C6H5, —CONH—C6H5, —CONH—C6H5—CONH2 and —CONH2; R6 and R7 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a halogen atom, a methyl group, an ethyl group, a methoxy group, an ethoxy group, —CF3, —COOH and —COOCH3, or R6 and R7 represent the necessary atoms to form an imidazolone ring; and a polymeric dispersant having via a linking group covalently linked to its polymeric backbone at least one pen

Abstract: A pigment dispersion includes a color pigment represented by formula (I): wherein X1 to X4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a halogen atom; R1 to R10 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a halogen atom, a methyl group, an ethyl group, a methoxy group, and an ethoxy group; and a polymeric dispersant, having via a linking group covalently linked to its polymeric backbone, at least one pending chromophore group which has a molecular weight smaller than 90% of the molecular weight of the color pigment; wherein the at least one pending chromophore group is a chromophore group occurring as a side group on the polymeric backbone and not a group in the polymeric backbone itself or occurring solely as an end group of the polymeric backbone; and the at least one pending chromophore group is represented by formula (II): wherein, one of L1, L2 or L3 is the linking group and is selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic group, a

Abstract: A method and a system for outputting an image having a specific color on an output device, the method including (a) analyzing the image; (b) creating a model for the output device, based on the analysis, wherein the model encompasses the specific color and is made in a particular space having a one-to-one relation to a device independent color space.

Abstract: A one dimensional transformation of colorant values before transforming them into a color using a printer model enables linearization of the gradation of each color component as a function of colorant values. The method reduces interpolation error if the printer model uses piecewise linear interpolation.

Abstract: A diketopyrrolo-pyrrole compound according to Formula (I): wherein R1, R2, and R3 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a halogen atom, a methyl group, an ethyl group, an tert.-butyl group, a phenyl group, a cyano group, and an acid group; R4—, R5, and R6 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a halogen atom, a methyl group, an ethyl group, an tert.-butyl group, a phenyl group, and a cyano group; and wherein one of R7 and R8 is a group including two acid functions while the other one of R7 and R8 represents hydrogen. Pigment dispersions, methods for forming pigment dispersions, and use of the diketopyrrolo-pyrrole compound may include Formula (I).

Abstract: A method for processing a digitized continuous tone image for reproducing the image by a printing device, including (a) inputting a tone value of an input pixel of the image; (b) applying a plurality of levelsplit curves to the tone value, thus obtaining a plurality of level values, wherein each specific levelsplit curve of the curves corresponds to a level defined by (i) a combination of a dot density and a dot area; or (ii) an overlap of a plurality of such combinations; (c) inputting the plurality of level values to an error diffuser for obtaining an output pixel value for reproducing the image; wherein a fraction of the output pixels to be filled by an overlap of levels depends on the level values and is independent of the error diffuser.

Abstract: A method for making a lithographic printing plate support is disclosed which comprises the steps of: (i) providing an aluminum support; (ii) graining said support in an electrolyte composition; and (iii) anodizing said grained support; wherein said electrolyte composition comprises an effective concentration of a benzoic acid derivative or a sulphonic acid derivative.

Abstract: A positive-working lithographic printing plate precursor is disclosed comprising on a grained and anodized aluminum support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with hydrophilic layer, a coating comprising: (i) an infrared absorbing agent and at least one colorant; (ii) a first layer comprising a heat-sensitive oleophilic resin; and (iii) a second layer between said first layer and said hydrophilic support wherein said second layer comprises a polymer comprising at least one monomeric unit that comprises at least one sulfonamide group; wherein the surface of said grained and anodized aluminum support has a mean pit depth equal or smaller than 2.2 ?m.

Abstract: A method of making a lithographic printing plate includes the steps of: providing a lithographic printing plate precursor including (i) a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer and (ii) a coating provided thereon which includes hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles; exposing the coating to heat, thereby inducing coalescence of the thermoplastic polymer particles at exposed areas of the coating; and developing the precursor by applying a gum solution to the coating, thereby removing non-exposed areas of the coating from the support. According to the above method, the plate precursor can be developed and gummed in a single step.

Abstract: A pigment dispersion includes a color pigment and a polymeric dispersant having at least one pending chromophore group covalently bound to the polymeric backbone of the polymeric dispersant through a linking group wherein the color pigment is selected from the group consisting of monoazo pigments, disazo pigments, ?-naphtol pigments, naphtol AS pigments, azo pigment lakes, benzimidazolone pigments, disazo condensation pigments, metal complex pigments, isoindolinone pigments, isoindolinine pigments, phthalocyanine pigments, quinacridone pigments, diketopyrrolo-pyrrole pigments, thioindigo pigments, anthraquinone pigments, anthrapyrimidine pigments, indanthrone pigments, flavanthrone pigments, pyranthrone pigments, anthanthrone pigments, isoviolanthrone pigments, aluminium pigment lakes, dioxazine pigments, triarylcarbonium pigments and quinophthalone pigments; the at least one pending chromophore group has a molecular weight which is smaller than 85% of the molecular weight of the color pigment; the at least

Abstract: A method provides an optimized set of waveforms for driving a printhead in greyscale printing wherein the waveforms include a pulse train of N pulses, wherein N is an integer, each pulse having a length LN, a time P(N-1)(N) existing between two adjacent pulses. The method includes: optimising a cost function that compares at least one ink ejection parameter such as drop velocity, difference in drop velocity, driving voltage, split velocity, number of split drops or drop placement error, with a printing speed parameter such as printing speed, the length LN of each pulse or the time P(N-1)(N) between two adjacent pulses.

Abstract: Radiation curable compositions with a polymeric co-initiator are disclosed comprising a dendritic polymer core with at least one co-initiating functional group as an end group. The dendritic polymeric core is preferably a hyperbranched polymer. Industrial applications include varnishes, lacquers and printing inks. The polymeric co-initiator is especially useful in radiation curable inkjet ink.

Abstract: A method for making a lithographic printing plate is disclosed which comprises the steps of: (i) providing a negative-working, heat-sensitive lithographic printing plate precursor comprising a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer and a coating provided thereon, the coating comprising an image-recording layer which comprises hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles and a hydrophilic binder, ?wherein the hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles have an average particle size in the range from 45 nm to 63 nm and wherein the amount of the hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles in the image-recording layer is at least 70% by weight relative to the image-recording layer; (ii) exposing the coating to heat or infrared light, thereby inducing coalescence of the thermoplastic polymer particles at exposed areas of the coating; (iii) developing the precursor by applying an aqueous, alkaline solution, thereby removing non-exposed areas of the coating from the supp

Abstract: A method for automatically determining an optimal imposition plan for printing and folding a product, the method including (a) calculating a plurality of imposition plans from a given set of input data including product specification data of the product, printing press data of a printing press for printing the product and folding machine data of a folding machine for folding the product and (b) selecting the optimal imposition plan from the plurality of imposition plans.

Abstract: Printing masters are produced by use of an inkjet printing system. The smallest halftone dot size which can be printed by the inkjet printing system is larger than the size of a pixel of the recording grid defined by the addressability of the printing device. Inferior image quality and graininess caused by standard error diffusion algorithms in this system can be counteracted by using a constraint correlation error diffusion system. Out of the complete set of all possible intensity level combinations for reproducing a pixel a subset is selected based upon the multilevel halftoning process of a quantized scalar value which is a function of at least one of the input pixel values of the corresponding colour component pixels. Preferably the scalar value represents the brightness or ink amount allocations.

Abstract: A large format printer using web fed material is able to cope with roll fed material and sheets having residual curl. An anti-curl guidance device counteracts curl when feeding the medium to a second transport system. The medium is held flat by a vacuum system and during re-feeding of the medium, the height of the position of the medium exhibiting residual curl is adjusted by a moving pivot roller to smoothly pass over a cutting bar. Also, the entrance of a re-feeding chamber is enlarged by lifting a retractor pivot plate by a retractor pivot to allow curled media to enter the re-feeding chamber. Curl can also be avoided by keeping the web roll of media in a relatively humid condition by restricting air flow or by using an extra humidifier.

Abstract: A method for preparing a negative-working lithographic printing plate is provided which comprises the steps of (1) providing a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising on a grained and anodized aluminum support, having a hydrophilic surface, a coating comprising (i) polymer particles which are core-shell particles having a hydrophobic heat-softenable core and a hydrophilic shell and (ii) an infrared light absorbing agent, (2) exposing said coating to heat, thereby inducing coalescence of said polymer particles at exposed areas of said coating, and (iii) developing said precursor by applying a gum solution to said coating, thereby removing non-exposed areas of said coating from said support. According to the above method the printing plates exhibit after ageing an improved clean-out and a reduced background stain, resulting in toning-free printing.

Abstract: A method of making a lithographic printing plate is disclosed which comprises the steps of providing a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising (i) a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer and (ii) a coating provided thereon which comprises hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles; exposing the coating to heat, thereby inducing coalescence of the thermoplastic polymer particles at exposed areas of the coating; developing the precursor by applying a gum solution to the coating, thereby removing non-exposed areas of the coating from the support. According to the above method, the plate precursor can be developed and gummed in a single step.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a radiation-sensitive mixture which contains an acrylate or methacrylate monomer and/or oligomer capable of free radical polymerization and having at least two acrylate and/or methacrylate groups and at least one photooxidizable group, a photoinitiator, an organic polymeric binder and a heptamethinecyanine dye acting as an IR-absorbing dye. It furthermore relates to a recording material comprising a substrate and a photopolymerizable layer and a process for the production of a printing plate from this recording material. The recording material is distinguished by suitable photosensitivity.

Abstract: A heat sensitive lithographic printing plate precursor is disclosed comprising on a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer, a coating comprising an infrared light absorbing agent and a copolymer which comprises a plurality of recurring units X having a hydrophilic polymeric pendant group and a plurality of recurring units Y having a hydrophobic polymeric pendant group. Said coating is capable of switching from a hydrophilic state into a hydrophobic state after exposure to heat and/or infrared light.