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 a positive-working, thermally imageable element generally comprising a multi-layered imageable coating. The invention provides an imageable element comprising a substrate, an ink-receptive top layer, and an underlayer, the underlayer including a specific copolymer described herein. The copolymer can be a polymer comprising constitutional units derived from: a) a monomer having a cyclic urea group; b) a monomer comprising an N-substituted maleimide; c) a (meth)acrylamide or (meth)acrylate monomer; and d) a (meth)acrylic acid or vinyl benzoic acid monomer. In another embodiment, the copolymer can be a polymer comprising constitutional units derived from: a) a monomer having a cyclic urea group; b) a (meth)acrylic acid or vinyl benzoic acid monomer; c) and a (meth)acrylonitrile monomer. The imageable element may be used to prepare a lithographic printing plate that is resistant to press chemistry and can optionally be baked to increase press runlength.

Abstract: Negative working imageable compositions and imageable elements comprising a layer of the imageable composition over a support are disclosed. The imageable compositions comprise a free-radical polymerizable system and an effective amount of curcumin. The curcumin is effective as an antihalation agent, but does not substantially reduce the photospeed of the imageable composition.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a display device includes an integrated color matching processor that processes color data to facilitate accurate color rendering on the display device. The integrated color matching processor can be internal to the display device or external to the display device. Either way the processor may receive color input, process the color input, and output altered color image data to the display.

Abstract: The present invention involves a method for making a relief image. A film that includes a carrier sheet and an imageable material is used to form a mask image that is opaque to a curing radiation. In one embodiment, the mask image is formed on the carrier sheet while in another embodiment, the mask image is formed on a receptor sheet. The mask image is then transferred to a photosensitive material, such as a flexographic printing plate precursor. The resulting assembly is exposed to the curing radiation resulting in exposed and unexposed areas of the photosensitive material. The carrier sheet or the receptor sheet may be removed from the mask image either before or after exposure to the curing radiation. Finally, the photosensitive material and mask image assembly is developed with a suitable developer to form a relief image.

Abstract: Thermally imageable elements useful as on-press developable lithographic printing plate precursors are disclosed. The elements comprise a substrate and a layer of an imageable composition over the substrate. The imageable composition comprises a photothermal conversion material, particles of a polyurethane polymer, and, optionally, a water soluble polymer. The polyurethane polymer comprises urethane linkages in the main chain, but does not comprise side chain urethane groups.

Abstract: The invention is directed to compensating for imaging aberrations that result from repeated passes by an imaging laser array. The aberrations may result from swath lines formed by thermal heating and from the ruling and screen angle of the image. The techniques described herein reduce the undesirable aberrations in thermal laser generated images by breaking up and/or reducing the swath lines. In general, the techniques provide for overlapping swaths and providing masking for one or both passes that print the overlapped region.

Abstract: Thermally imageable, positive working, multilayer imageable elements useful as lithographic printing plate precursors are disclosed. The elements comprise a substrate; an underlayer over the substrate; a top layer over the underlayer, and a photothermal conversion material. The top layer comprises a binder and an ionic liquid. A preferred binder is poly(methyl methacrylate).

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermally sensitive composition that may be coated as a water-borne material onto a substrate to yield a printing plate precursor having an imageable coating. The thermally sensitive composition comprises a sulfated phenolic resin. The sulfated phenolic resin may be a sulfated novolak resin or a sulfated resole resin, for example. The thermally sensitive composition may include a water-soluble binder, such as polyvinyl pyrrolidone, and a radiation-absorbing component. The invention also provides a printing plate precursor that is developed in water after imaging. The precursor does not require chemical development with a developing solution containing organic solvents or inorganic additives. The imaged precursor is on-press-developable when used with a fountain solution. Methods for making and using the precursor are also provided.

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 provides a receptor element for use in thermal transfer imaging. The receptor element includes a coating having a polymeric binder and a biguanide bleaching agent. The biguanide bleaching agent is capable of bleaching an infrared-absorbing dye when the biguanide bleaching agent and the infrared-absorbing dye are in contact. A particularly suitable biguanide bleaching agent is 1-(o-tolyl)biguanide. The invention also provides compositions and methods for manufacturing a receptor element. Also provided by the invention is an imaging system for thermal transfer imaging. The imaging system includes a color-bearing element and a bleaching element, wherein the bleaching element includes a coating having a polymeric binder and a biguanide bleaching agent. The invention further provides methods useful in the production of integral proofs.

Abstract: The present invention provides a processless printing plate precursor including a thermally sensitive layer applied onto a substrate. The thermally sensitive layer includes polycyanoacrylate particles having a major dimension between about 50 and about 500 nm, and a mean major dimension of no greater than about 350 nm. The printing plate precursor may be exposed to radiation and may then be developed “on press” with a suitable fountain solution.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of making an electronic part in which a nanopaste composed of inorganic nanoparticles and a carrier is applied onto a surface of a substrate. The composition is then processed to form an electrically conductive pattern area that adheres to the surface of the substrate. Optionally, the conductivity of the pattern area may be improved by heating.

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 provides a method for forming a flexographic printing plate that includes imagewise applying an image-forming material onto a substrate with an ink-jet printer to form a relief image, in which the image-forming material adheres to the surface of the substrate and resists deformation. The method of the present invention may further include treating the relief image.

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: Infrared absorbing compounds that absorb at 800 nm±50 nm and at 1050 nm±50 nm, the two different regions of the infrared spectrum typically used for imaging, are disclosed. Thermally imageable elements that comprise these infrared absorbing compounds can be imaged with radiation in either of these two regions of the infrared spectrum. The elements are especially useful as lithographic printing plate precursors.

Abstract: A positive working printing form precursor comprises a thermally imagable composition which includes a hydroxyl group-containing polymer, for example a novolak resin. The composition has a weight of less than 1.1 gm?2. It has been found that using a low weight of the composition on the precursor improves the properties of the precursor, in particular by rendering the sensitivity of the precursor to imaging radiation less variable over time.

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 constitutional units having a pendant group including a hydrophilic poly(alkylene oxide) segment. The imageable element can be developed using an aqueous developer solution. Alternatively, the imageable element can be developed on-press by contact with ink and/or fountain solution.

Abstract: The present invention includes a two-layer imageable element, including: a substrate, a top layer including a first thermally imageable composition including (a) a first thermally sensitive supramolecular polymer or (b) a thermally imageable composition free of the first thermally sensitive supramolecular polymer; and disposed between the substrate and the top layer, a bottom layer including a second thermally imageable composition, which includes a second thermally sensitive supramolecular polymer. The present invention also includes a method of producing the imaged element.