Abstract: The present invention provides a printing blanket which includes a first compressive layer which is porous and seamless, a non-expansion layer formed by spirally winding a wire in a circumferential direction of the blanket so that a distance between adjacent wires is not more than 0.5 mm, a second compressive layer which is porous and seamless, a surface printing layer which is seamless and non-compressive, and a cylindrical sleeve to be fit over a blanket cylinder, wherein these layers are laminated in this order on the outer peripheral surface of this cylindrical sleeve directly or through a seamless adhesive layer. According to this printing blanket, piling caused at the time of high-speed printing is inhibited and printing can be performed in high productivity.

Abstract: A method for forming a planographic printing member is disclosed. A hydrophilic layer is formed on a support by contacting the support with a silicate solution that contains a silicate and a particulate material. An image layer is provided over the hydrophilic layer. The hydrophilic layer is treated to ensure that the image layer is able to change color on exposure. The hydrophilic layer may be treated with an acid, with a buffer formulation, with a colloidal suspension, or with a salt. Preferably the hydrophilic layer is treated with aluminum sulphate.

Abstract: An attachment to or a keyboard itself or other devices which require extending the fingers and hands so as to reach keys of the device. The invention includes at least one key pillow. The key pillow either replaces or fits over at least one key of a keyboard or other such device to advantageously alter the consistency, texture, shape, or height of the traditional key to which the key pillow corresponds. The key pillow is shaped so as to extend into the comfort zone of a user to thereby minimize the stretching and twisting required of the user's fingers, hands, wrists, and arms. The key pillow may be applied to a keyboard of a portable computer, where the at least one key pillow is inflatable. The at least one key pillow may also be applied to devices such as a computer mouse. The key pillow must extend into a comfort zone of the user. Also, a palm rest is designed so as to maintain the user's hands at a certain height above the lip of the keyboard, which may or may not include key pillows.

Abstract: Provided is a lithographic printing plate comprising a support substrate having disposed thereon an ablative-absorbing layer and, optionally, a durable, ink-accepting surface layer that is not ablative-absorbing. The ablative-absorbing layer may contain a high weight percent of an organic sulfonic acid component. The printing plate may further comprise a hydrophilic polymeric layer interposed between the ablative-absorbing layer and the substrate. The printing plate also comprises a primer layer underlying the ablative-absorbing layer with an adhesion-promoting agent, such as a zirconium compound, present in the primer layer. Also provided are methods of preparing such lithographic printing plates, and methods of preparing imaged lithographic printing plates from such lithographic printing plates by imagewise exposure to a laser and a subsequent cleaning step with water or with a cleaning solution.

Abstract: A block copy material for a lithographic printing plate material comprising a sheet-like substrate, on at least one side of which a plurality of minute projections are distributively formed, or a lithographic press having a plate cylinder, on a surface of which a plurality of minute projections are distributively formed, wherein the density of minute projections having a height of more than 40 &mgr;m is 20 projections/cm2 or less on surface average, and the density of minute projections having a height of 3 &mgr;m or more is 25 projections/cm2 or more on surface average. The block copy material for a lithographic printing plate material, the lithographic press and a lithographic printing method using the block copy material or the lithographic press can avoid the deterioration of the printing dimension and printing accuracy caused by strain partially developed in printing, and can solve the problem of conventional methods, the deterioration of the workability in printing.

Abstract: A stencil printing machine has a printing drum having a cylindrical circumferential wall adapted to receive a perforated stencil sheet wrapped on an outer circumferential surface thereof and driven to rotate around a central axis thereof the circumferential wall having an opening portion with many through holes formed therein, a non-opening portion formed around the opening portion, and at least one recessed portion formed in at least one part of the opening portion adjacent to the non-opening portion in an axial direction of the circumferential wall; an ink supplying roller situated in the printing drum for supplying ink to an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical circumferential wall of the printing drum; and a press roller situated adjacent to the printing drum and being urged against the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical circumferential wall of the printing drum.

Abstract: Manufacturing methods of liquid crystal display elements and manufacturing apparatuses for same which prevent an insulating substrate from sliding out of position and which attract and fix the substrate firmly and flatly by removing deformations of the substrate with substantially strong forces, even when a thin-type glass substrate or a thin-type plastic substrate is employed. A blower is used to exert attractive forces on the insulating substrate placed on a stage at a second attraction opening. A vacuum pump and a switching valve are used to exert the attractive forces first at the first attraction openings of the first group, then at the first attraction openings of the first and second groups, and finally at the first attraction openings of the first, second, and third groups on nearly the entire insulating substrate.

Abstract: A solid-ink printing original plate which comprises a substrate and an image comprising an ink dot formed on the substrate, and which is prepared by a process comprising the steps of: melting a solid ink that is a solid at a room temperature; and jetting the melt of the solid ink onto a substrate to form an ink dot, wherein the ink dots that have solidified on the substrate have an ink dot height of at least 5 &mgr;m, and a ratio (aspect ratio) of the ink dot height to the minor axis size of the ink dot of from 0.05 to 0.5. Also disclosed is a process for producing the solid-ink printing original plate.

Abstract: A method of preparing a plastic mask for paste printing with a plastic sheet being provided with an area containing a predetermined pattern including one or more through-holes is carried out by the steps of bringing the plastic mask provided with electroconductive material on at least one surface into close contact with a printing material while applying an electrical ground potential to the electroconductive material and then using the mask for paste printing by spreading and pressing a past to cause it to pass through any of the through-holes forming the predetermined pattern for deposit on the printing material and then removing the mask from the printing material to leave the paste printing pattern.

Abstract: There is provided a tape printing apparatus for printing desired character string data on a tapelike printing object, in which a plurality of functions can be set with a single physical operator. When a character size setting function key is operated (S14), the position of a cursor existing on a display screen is detected. The character size is set over the whole sentence (S24) if the cursor is positioned on the right side of a line head mark, set by paragraph (S23) if the cursor is positioned at the head of the first line of each paragraph, and set by line (S22) if the cursor is positioned on the right side of the head of a line of each paragraph. In other cases, the size of characters from the cursor on is set or the character size is set word by word (S20, 21).

Abstract: A lithographic printing plate comprises a plate body with a plurality of predetermined breaking points formed therein. The breaking points extend from a leading end to a trailing end of the printing plate. The predetermined breaking points define edges of sub-plates, each carrying an image which corresponds to a newspaper page of a newspaper to be printed with the lithographic printing plate. The printing plate can be mounted on the plate cylinder of a lithographic rotary printing press as one piece and can afterwards be broken up at the predetermined breaking points, in order to exchange one of the sub-plates against another sub-plate for a new print job, in case of an edition change.

Abstract: A process for preparing removable metal sleeve for gravure printing machines has been carried out in which after treating the lateral surface of the cylinder with a separator product and after associating protective strips in closure of the through holes of the lateral surface of the cylinder, the same is dipped into an electro-copper plating bath for forming a copper removable sleeve and axial removing of the copper sleeve is obtained by means of compressed air forced to form an air cushion between the cooper sleeve and the lateral surface of the cylinder and by means of a separator product used between the same copper sleeve and the cylinder.

Abstract: A stencil holder assembly comprising a stencil plate connector and a stencil plate for use with a stencil printer in single component solder paste applications. The stencil plate connector is mounted onto the stencil printer for the duration of operation of the stencil printer and stencil plates are removably mounted thereon by means of an adapter centrally mounted on the stencil plate. Solder paste stencil patterns are readily interchanged onto the stencil printer during solder paste applications by mounting and removing stencil plates from the stencil plate connector.

Abstract: A roll paper loading mechanism 2 for a printer 1 has a slide frame 25 attached to a cover frame 23, which opens and closes a top opening 22b. This cover frame 23 pivots open and closed in conjunction with the opening and closing of a cover frame 28. A platen roller 26 is held on an end of the slide frame 25 in a manner enabling the platen roller 26 to turn. After the top opening 22b to the roll paper holding unit is closed by the cover frame 23, the other cover frame 28 can pivot independently. This independent pivoting motion of the cover frame 28 causes the slide frame 25 to slide forward to a position at which the platen roller 26 is positioned to an opposed position with a constant gap to the print head 8. This arrangement increases the sliding distance of the slide frame 25, and thereby reduces the pivot radius needed to fully open the top opening 22b. As a result, the area above the top opening 22b can be efficiently used to position some other component.

Abstract: A linerless label media cutting apparatus adapted for receiving linerless label media from a printer is provided. The apparatus includes a cutting assembly and a cutter mount. The cutting assembly has a first cutting blade and a second cutting blade that cooperate to sever at least one label. The cutter mount supports the cutting assembly and is mountable to the printer. A drive actuator assembly may be included. The cutter mount may include mounting structure to facilitate mounting and alignment to the printer. The cutter mount may also include a blade carrier and base plate for supporting the cutting blades. The base plate may define a cavity for receipt of linerless label media. The apparatus may also include a blade lubricator. In an alternate embodiment, the apparatus includes an input guide for guiding linerless label media travel. The input guide may be plasma coated. A method for preparing labels is disclosed.

Abstract: A rotary screen printing cylinder including a cylindrical screen, a squeegee disposed within the screen, and two end pieces each fastened as an extension of the cylindrical surface of the screen. The screen cylinder has at least two zones which are provided with color-permeable openings at least in partial areas and are separated by a color-impermeable dead zone of predetermined width. The dead zone is designed so as to give the screen cylinder stability.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a heat mode imaging element for making a lithographic printing plate including on a lithographic base with a hydrophilic surface, a first layer including a polymer, soluble in an aqueous alkaline solution, and a top layer on the same side of the lithographic base as the first layer. The top layer is IR-sensitive and unpenetrable for an alkaline developer. The first layer and the top layer may be one and the same layer. The top layer is characterized in that it contains at least one compound containing epoxy units in an amount between 20 and 500 mg/m.sup.2 and a hardener.

Abstract: A method of lithographic printing comprising forming an image based on signals of image data directly on a printing plate precursor mounted on a plate cylinder of a printing press, thereby preparing a printing plate, and conducting lithographic printing, wherein the formation of image on the printing plate precursor is carried out by an ink jet recording method in which oil-based ink is ejected utilizing an electrostatic field. According to the method of the present invention, a large number of prints having clear images can be obtained. Further, a printing plate is directly formed corresponding to digital image data in a printing press, and lithographic printing is performed at a low cost and a high speed.

Abstract: The invention refers to a tape printing apparatus (2) used with tape cassettes (20, 220, 243, 260, 443). In order to make insertion and removal easier, the tape cassette is provided with a surface controlling the position of a printhead (22, 222, 322, 422) and/or a platen. When the cassette is inserted, printhead and platen are automatically separated such that the tape (24) can be introduced between them, and afterwards moved in the operative position. Further, an over center mechanism is proposed for moving printhead and platen. The tape cassette (443) can provide a 90.degree. bend in the tape (24) upstream the printing position, and the motor (42) can be located besides the zone for accommodating the image receiving tape (24). The cassette can be made attachable to other cassettes, and the means for attaching can guide and hold the cassette in the tape printer.

Abstract: A web of paper is printed with selective non-variable information and vastly different variable information on portions of the paper web which are ultimately separated into discrete documents. At least one ion deposition print unit and a number of flexographic print units are utilized, as well as a data source containing at least the variable information, and first and second computers. Data is read from the data source with the first computer and in response to the read data the ion deposition print unit is controlled with the first computer to print variable information on the paper web. Form lag commands are provided from the first computer to the second computer. In response to the lag commands the flexographic print units are independently controlled by the second computer to operatively engage and disengage the paper web and thereby print non-variable information from at least one of the flexographic units on each discrete document portion of the paper web.