Abstract: A composition that is photopolymerizable upon absorption of light and/or heat, the composition including a binder, a polymerizable compound, a sensitizer, and a photoinitiator, characterized in that the composition includes, with respect to its non-volatile compounds, at least about 0.01 wt.-% of a polythiol compound and has a very high sensitivity and hardness.

Abstract: An ink circulation system for use in an inkjet printing apparatus includes an inkjet printhead, an ink supply path for supplying an ink to the inkjet printhead and an ink return path for returning ink not used for printing from the inkjet printhead. The ink return path is coupled to the ink supply path for replenishing the ink supply path with the ink returned from the printhead. The coupling establishes an ink circulation circuit. The ink circulation circuit can be replenished with fresh ink from a main tank, as ink is withdrawn by the printhead for printing. In the circulation system an active through-flow ink degassing unit is provided to control the dissolved gas level of the ink in the ink circulation system.

Abstract: A method of inkjet printing includes using a grayscale inkjet print head. The inkjet print head is driven driving to eject a number of successive ink droplets from the ink chamber in accordance with print tone data provided to the grayscale print head, the number of successive ink droplets forming a multiple-droplet drop creating a printed dot of appropriate tone on the receiving medium. The method includes the step of excluding print tone data corresponding with the ejection of a single-droplet drop from being provided to the grayscale print head. A preferred embodiment includes the removal of this print tone data from the data provided to the grayscale print head. A more preferred embodiment includes applying a multilevel halftoning technique for avoiding the use of print tone data corresponding with a single-droplet drop during the generation of the print tone data for inkjet printing the image with the grayscale print head.

Abstract: A method for making a lithographic aluminum printing plate support comprising the steps of (i) graining said support by applying a charge density x; (ii) desmutting the grained support; (iii) graining the desmutted support by applying a charge density y; (iv) anodizing the support; characterized in that during each graining step a current density varying between 80 and 250 A/dm2 is applied and that the ratio x/x+y varies between 0.3 and 0.7.

Abstract: A printhead positioning system is provided wherein the shuttle assembly is split up in a printing shuttle, having a high accuracy positioning capability and a utility shuttle needing only a low accuracy positioning system. Due to this split-up the mass of components which have to be positioned accurately is greatly reduced and therefore making it easier to position the lighter load accurately and allowing for use of cheaper drive systems while maintaining the high accuracy in printing.

Abstract: Upon a substrate subsequent layers of elastic ink are jetted using an ink jet printing system. Each layer is immobilised by a immobilisation step before jetting the following layer. A printing relief is gradually formed to obtain a flexographic printing plate allowing accurate control over the relief and slopes of the printing plates. Use can be made of different inks or immobilisation step to obtain different layer characteristics. Inks can be immobilised using UV curing. The recorded relief of the layers can be measured and corrections can be applied using a feed-back loop. A rejuvenation process for printing plates can be constructed using the described method. An elastic base layer can be provided on the substrate to provide better plate characteristics.

Abstract: A novel polymeric initiator is disclosed comprising a dendritic polymer core with at least one initiating functional group as an end group. The dendritic polymeric core is preferably a hyperbranched polymer. The polymeric initiators are useful in radiation curable compositions such as varnishes, lacquers and printing inks and are especially useful in radiation curable inkjet inks.

Abstract: A method for making a lithographic printing plate precursor includes the steps of coating a composition having a pH?5 on a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer, the composition including hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles stabilized with an anionic dispersant, a hydrophilic binder and colloidal silica, characterized in that the silica carries a negative charge; and drying the coated composition.

Abstract: Method for cleaning a lithographic printing plate comprising the step of applying a liquid to the plate including an aqueous phase, a solvent phase and at least one alkyl (poly) glucoside, said solvent phase including a mixture comprising aliphatic and/or aromatic hydrocarbons, characterized in that the amount of solvent phase in the liquid is ?40% wt.

Abstract: A non-aqueous inkjet ink includes a diketopyrrolo-pyrrole pigment and at least one polyalkyleneglycol dialkylether having a molecular weight of at least 250. Also, a method for manufacturing decorative laminates using the non-aqueous inkjet ink is provided.

Abstract: A method for making a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising the steps of: (i) providing a grained and anodized aluminum support; (ii) treating the support with an aqueous solution comprising a salt of zirconium; (iii) treating the support with an aqueous solution comprising a compound comprising a phosphonic acid group and/or an ester or a salt thereof; (iv) applying a coating comprising hydrophobic particles and a binder; (v) drying said coating.

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. 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 one pending chromophore group occurs as a side group on the polymeric backbone and not as a group in the polymeric backbone itself or occurring solely as an end group of the polymeric backbone; the linking group consists of all the atoms between the polymeric backbone and the first atom of the aromatic group by which the pending chromophore group is linked to the polymeric backbone; and the at least one pending chromophore group has a similarity coefficient SIM of at least 0.75.

Abstract: A print head mounting assembly and a method of mounting and positioning a print head on a print head carriage framework suitable for mounting in a printing system includes a print head positioning device for receiving a print head, and a print head mounting tile having a mounting surface for mounting the print head positioning device. The print head mounting tile is adjustably mounted on the print head carriage framework such that it provides a mounting surface for the print head positioning device that is level with a reference printing surface, when the print head carriage framework is mounted in the printing system. The print head positioning device is adjustably mounted on the print head mounting tile such that the print head, being received in the print head positioning device, is accurately positioned on the mounting surface of the print head mounting tile.

Abstract: A receiver table (1) is provided for holding a receiver in a digital printer using a shuttle (2) carrying the printheads (3), e.g. an ink-jet printer, which is divided in small table segments (5) of which height and orientation can be adjusted. By adjusting the segments (5) the table (1) can be deformed to obtain a constant receiver-printhead distance even if the guidance of the shuttle (2) has deviations or exhibits bending during shuttling. Table segments (5) are preferably mounted on a deformable table support (13). The receiver-printhead “throw distance” can be calibrated by measuring the distance profile and adjusting adjustments screws or bolts to align the table segments (5) to the ideal printing distance.

Abstract: The present invention provides new intermediate compounds enabling the preparation of N-meso substituted cyanine, merocyanine or oxonole dyes wherein the N-meso substituent comprises electron withdrawing groups and wherein such N-meso substituents are introduced at the intermediate level. These intermediates enable the formation of dyes having in the meso-position N-substituents comprising electron withdrawing groups without the need for further derivatization of the meso-substituent at the dye level.

Abstract: A Naphthol AS colorant according to Formula (I): wherein R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, halogen, methoxy, ethoxy, —CONH-phenyl and —NO2, wherein the group Q is a group including two carboxyl groups or salts thereof. The Naphthol AS colorant may also be used for making colored layers and non-aqueous pigment dispersions.

Abstract: A flatbed printing machine is provided with a printing table and a pressing device for a medium to be printed. The pressing device features parallel guide rails on both sides of the printing table, through which a pressing rail that is moveable above the printing table is guided. The pressing device is particularly applicable to a digital ink-jet flatbed printing machines.

Abstract: A monomer with a chromophore group represented by Formula (I): wherein AR1 represents a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group; AR2 represents a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group; and R represents a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, with the proviso that one of R, AR1, and AR2 has a substituent with a polymerizable functional group. The monomer can be advantageously used to prepare polymeric dispersants for pigment dispersion, especially inkjet inks.

Abstract: A printing table for a flatbed printing machine, for example, a large format digital flatbed printing machine, has a printing table base and a printing table plate disposed on the printing table base. The printing table base is connected by several connecting elements to the printing table plate. The connecting elements permit movement of the printing table plate relative to the printing table base, in particular movement caused by thermal expansion, only in a direction parallel to the printing table surface and only proceeding from a certain area of the printing table plate, the area having a point or line form and being fixed relative to the printing table base.

Abstract: A method for making a lithographic printing plate is disclosed which comprises the steps of: (1) providing a heat-sensitive lithographic printing plate precursor comprising on a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer, a heat-sensitive coating, (2) image-wise exposing said precursor with IR-radiation or heat, and (3) developing said image-wise exposed precursor with an alkaline developing solution, characterised in that a sludge inhibiting agent is present in said precursor or in said developing solution or in said precursor and said developing solution, and wherein said sludge inhibiting agent is a triazaindolisine compound. According to the above method, the formation of sludge is inhibited or reduced.