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: 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: 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: 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 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 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 method of processing imageable elements useful as alkaline-developable lithographic printing plate precursors that does not require either a rinsing step or a further gumming step is disclosed. The method comprises simultaneously developing and gumming the imaged element with an aqueous alkaline developing-gumming solution comprising one or more water-soluble polyhydroxy compounds of the following structure: R1(CHOH)nR2 in which n is 4 to 7; and either (i) R1 is hydrogen, aryl, or CH2OH; and R2 is hydrogen, alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, CH2OR3 in which R3 is hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, CH2N(R4R5) in which R4 and R5 are each independently hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or CO2H, or (ii) R1 and R2 together form a carbon—carbon single bond.

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.

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: A radiation-sensitive composition for use in printing plates is described. The composition comprises: (a) at least one novolak; (b) at least one naphthoquinone diazide derivative; and (c) a copolymer comprising units A, B, and a unit C comprising a cyclic terminal urea group, wherein unit A is present in an amount of about 5 to about 50 mol % and has the formula wherein R1 is selected such that the homopolymer of A is alkali-soluble, unit B is present in an amount of about 20 to about 70 mol % and has the following formula wherein R2 is selected such that the homopolymer of B has a glass transition temperature greater than 100° C., preferably a glass transition temperature in the range from about 100 to about 380° C.

Abstract: An aqueous alkaline developing system for alkaline-developable lithographic printing plates and a method for its use are disclosed. The developing system comprises one or more water-soluble suppressors of the following structure: R1(CHOH)nR2 in which: n is 4 to 7; and either (i) R1 is hydrogen, aryl, or CH2OH; and R2 is alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, CH2OR3 in which R3 is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, CH2N(R4R5) in which R4 and R5 are each independently hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or CO2H; or (ii) R1 and R2 together form a carbon—carbon single bond. The developing system is especially suited for developing imageable elements useful as lithographic printing plates. The developing system is especially suited for use with elements in which (1) the imageable layer comprises at least one phenolic resin or at least one polymeric compound having pendent sulfonamide groups, and (2) the substrate is aluminum or and an aluminum alloy.

Abstract: Several optical heads are mounted on a common carriage adapted to scan a photosensitive printing plate. Each head is equipped with a laser source, a modulator and projection optics and can project a segment containing a plurality of pixels. The optical track of beams in each head is folded several times in such a way as to reduce the width of the head as well as its height. When the carriage moves from one edge of the plate to the other edge a swath of pixels is projected. Each head includes means to adjust the width, location, orientation and intensity of the segment it generates. Each head is accurately positioned on the carriage so that at least two abutting swaths are projected during each sweep of the carriage to produce a wider swath.