Abstract: Imageable articles comprising positive working polymeric coatings on substrates are given a heat treatment as part of their manufacture, notably at a moderate temperature for an extended period. This heat treatment improves the development characteristics of the coatings in use. It has been found that by carrying out the heat treatment on articles wrapped in a water-impermeable material or in a humidity-enhanced oven, development characteristics may be further improved, especially adjacent to the edges of articles. The imageable articles include precursors for lithographic printing plates and for printed circuits.

Abstract: Disclosed is a thermally sensitive imagable article and compositions therefor. The imagable article comprises a coating on a substrate, the coating comprising an amino acid or amide, and a compound capable of generating an acid upon heating. The coating optionally comprises a radiation absorbing compound. When imagewise exposed the coating has the property that exposed regions become relatively insoluble in a developer liquid whereas regions that have not been exposed remain relatively soluble in the developer and dissolve in the developer, leaving the exposed substrate in those regions.

Abstract: Imageable elements useful in lithographic printing, and processes for their use, are disclosed. The elements comprise a hydrophilic substrate, an imageable layer over the substrate, and a thermally activated crosslinking agent. The imageable layer comprises a polymeric material that comprises one or more functional groups selected from the group consisting of carboxyl, carboxylic acid anhydride, phenolic hydroxyl, and sulphonamide. A preferred crosslinking group is the oxazoline group. The element is heated after exposure and development to crosslink a polymeric material.

Abstract: The present invention includes a radiation-imageable element for lithographic printing having a hydrophilic anodized aluminum base with a surface having pores and a image-forming layer having polymer particles coated on the aluminum base. The ratio of the average pore diameter to the average particle diameter is from 0.4:1 to 10:1. The present invention further includes a method of producing the imaged element. The method includes the steps of imagewise exposing the radiation-imageable element to radiation to produce exposed and unexposed regions and contacting the imagewise exposed radiation-imageable element and a developer to remove the exposed or the unexposed regions.

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: A method for manufacturing a microporous film comprising the steps of: (a) providing a first polymer which is a hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer and a second polymer which is a hydrophilic polymer or copolymer of N-vinylpyrrolidone; (b) dissolving said first and second polymers in a solvent system which is compatible with both polymers, said solvent system comprising a blend of an aprotic organic solvent and an alcohol; (c) coating the resulting solution on a support; (d) effecting at least a partial drying of the resulting coating; and (e) washing the coating in an aqueous medium so as to extract at least 50% by weight of the said second polymer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photosensitive lithographic printing plate which displays superior ink receptivity and superior film strength of the photosensitive layer (image area). The photosensitive lithographic printing plate is produced by providing, on top of a support, a photosensitive composition comprising a fluororesin having a fluoro aliphatic group of 3 to 20 carbon atoms in which at least two of three terminal hydrogen atoms are substituted for fluorine atoms, and an ethylene based unsaturated group, as well as a negative photosensitive compound.

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.

Abstract: A method for imaging patterning compositions comprising the steps of: (1) providing at least one patterning composition layer on a substrate; said patterning composition comprising: (a) at least one acid generator; (b) at least one cross linking resin or compound; (c) at least one binder resin comprising a polymer containing reactive pendant group selected from group consisting of hydroxyl, carboxylic acid, sulfonamide, active imide, alkoxymethylamides and mixtures thereof; and (d) at least one infrared absorber; (2) imagewise exposing the patterning composition layer to actinic radiation; (3) treating the imaged patterning composition layer with heat energy to treat the imaged portions of the composition layer; (4) flood exposing the heat-treated, imaged patterning composition layer with UV light for a predetermined time, said time being sufficient to promote the effective clear-out of non-imaged portions during the developing step without causing substantial deterioration of the imaged portions; and

Abstract: A method of preparing an imaged element useful in lithographic printing comprises: (a) electrostatically imaging at least one surface of a substrate with a toner composition; (b) heating the imaged substrate a first time using non-contact heating to a first substrate temperature Tp; and (c) heating the imaged substrate a second time to a substrate temperature TF, wherein the method does not comprise a development step between steps (b) and (c). This method is used to obtain an imaged element with adequate fuser toning while avoiding substrate buckling and distortion.

Abstract: A thermally imagable article comprises a substrate on which is coated a positive working heat-sensitive composition comprising a hydroxyl group-containing polymer and a heat-labile moiety which decreases the developer solubility of the composition as compared to the developer solubility of the composition without the heat-labile moiety, wherein the heat-sensitive composition does not comprise an acid generating moiety. The invention also provides novel positive working compositions comprising heat-labile moieties, and imagable articles comprising said compositions.

Abstract: A printing plate useful in lithographic printing is prepared by a process comprising: (a) applying a coating composition comprising at least one polymer such as polyethylene glycol to a substrate surface to provide the surface with a water-soluble or water-dispersible polymer coating; (b) imaging the coated substrate with a toner composition comprising toner particles by imagewise applying the toner composition to the polymer coating, wherein the polymer coating has a softening temperature TS; (c) heating the imaged substrate to a temperature TF which is equal to or greater than TS; and (d) contacting the imaged substrate with a solution capable of removing the non-imaged portion of the polymer coating, wherein the process does not comprise a chemical development step and the polymer coating has a coating weight of about 0.25 to about 2.0 g/m2.

Abstract: Infra-red absorbing polymers useful in imageable products and the lithographic printing field comprise infra-red absorbing groups carried as pendent groups on a polymer backbone. Certain infra-red absorbing groups may also act to insolublize the polymer in a developer, until it is imagewise exposed to infra-red radiation. The resulting heat renders the polymer soluble in the developer. Imageable products employing the infra-red absorbing polymers may include positive working lithographic printing plates.

Abstract: A visible radiation sensitive composition is disclosed. The composition comprises at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer capable of free radical initiated addition polymerization; optionally, at least one binder; and a photoinitiator system comprising a coinitiator and a cyanopyridone sensitizer. The coinitiator preferably comprises a metallocene and an onium compound.

Abstract: Additive compositions suitable for rinse water used for processing lithographic printing plates, particularly to additive compositions for rinse water in water recycling systems, are disclosed. The additive compositions contain at least one water-soluble film-forming polymer; optionally, at least one pH regulating agent capable of maintaining the pH value of an aqueous solution at about 7 or below; and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of phosphonic acid derivatives of formula I. in which X is C2-C6 alkylene or in which: k is 0 or 1; m is 1, 2, or 3; p is 1, 2, or 3; r is an integer from 10 to 20; R1 and R3 are each independently H or C1-C4 alkyl; R2 and R4 are each independently H, OH or C1-C4 alkoxy; and Y is —R6N—(CH2)n—(NR5)q—, in which q is 0 or 1, n is an integer from 0 to 8, and R5 and R6 are each independently H, C1-C4 alkyl, or —CH2—P(O)(OH)2.

Abstract: The present invention includes an imageable element, which includes a sheet substrate, an imaging layer and a silicone layer, which comprises a crosslinked silicone polymer. The crosslinked silicone polymer is the curing product of a vinyl functional polysiloxane copolymer and a hydrosiloxane compound. The curing is catalyzed by a platinum carbonyl complex. Upon imagewise exposure and development, an imaged element is obtained, which is mounted on a dry printing press containing lithographic ink and used to produce printed stock.

Abstract: Modeling spectral characteristics of an image acquisition device. In one implementation, a computer system predicts the spectral reflectance or transmittance of a sample scanned by an image acquisition device, such as a graphic art scanner, by modeling the device. The sample is scanned by a scanner. The computer system searches for media coordinates in a colorant space corresponding to the sample. The media coordinates correspond to an estimated spectrum in a basis spectra model. The basis spectra model is derived by analyzing training color patches of the sample distributed throughout the gamut of the colorant set on the sample media. The estimated spectrum generates estimated digital values through a forward model of the scanner. The estimated digital values are compared to target digital values generated by the scanner to calculate an error value. The computer system repeats this process until a desired stopping criterion or criteria are met.

Abstract: A lithographic printing plate precursor comprises a substrate, a free radical polymerizable photosensitive layer comprising a light-sensitive composition on the substrate, and a water-soluble overcoat layer on the photosensitive layer, wherein the overcoat layer comprises polyvinyl alcohol, and a further component that is not amphoteric and is poly(1-vinylimidazole) or a copolymer of 1-vinylimidazole and at least one further monomer. The photosensitive layer comprises a free radical polymerizable component and a photoinitiator.

Abstract: An aqueous developer for lithographic printing plates and a method for developing the printing plates are disclosed. The developer comprises an organic dispersing agent. The developer develops multi-layer printing plates quickly, with high throughput, but with no sludge formation in the developing process.

Abstract: Modeling spectral characteristics of an image acquisition device. In one implementation, a computer system predicts the spectral reflectance or transmittance of a sample scanned by an image acquisition device, such as a graphics arts scanner, by modeling the device. The sample is scanned by a scanner. The computer system searches for media coordinates in a colorant space corresponding to the sample. The media coordinates correspond to an estimated spectrum in a media model. The estimated spectrum generates estimated digital values through a forward model of the scanner. The estimated digital values are compared to target digital values generated by the scanner to calculate an error value. The computer system repeats this process until a desired stopping criterion or criteria are met. The estimated spectrum corresponding to the final estimated digital values represents the reflectance spectrum of the sample as scanned by the scanner.