Abstract: The invention relates to a recording material having a dimensionally stable, two-dimensional support, preferably an aluminium support, and a negative-working, radiation-sensitive layer which comprises a diazonium salt, a polymeric binder and a sulphobetaine. In addition, the layer may also comprise a polymerizable monomer or oligomer and a photopolymerization initiator. The front of the recording material may be matted or pigmented, and the back may be coated with an organic polymeric material. The sulphobetaine improves the solubility of the diazonium salts in aqueous-alkaline developers without reducing the resistance of the offset printing plates produced from the recording material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a radiation-sensitive recording material for the production of offset printing plates having a dimensionally stable support, a radiation-sensitive layer located on the front of the support, and a layer which comprises an organic polymeric material having a glass transition temperature of 35° C. or above and in which pigment particles are embedded and which is resistant to processing chemicals and is located on the back of the support. The pigment particles are preferably silica gel particles having a mean diameter of from 0.1 to 50 &mgr;m or organic particles having a mean diameter of from 3 to 10 &mgr;m. The image layer on the front may be matted or pigmented. The back coating enables the recording material to be stacked without separating paper. The image layer located on the front is not scratched by the pigmented back coating during storage and transport and during removal from the stack.

Abstract: The invention relates to a recording material having a substrate and a negative-working, radiation-sensitive layer which contains a diazonium salt, at least one film-forming, polymeric binder and organic colored pigments, on the surface of which an organic polymeric dispersant has been adsorbed and which are additionally dispersed in an organic polymeric binder which does not permanently combine with the pigments chemically or physically. The dispersant generally has groups, in particular primary, secondary or tertiary amino groups or derivatives thereof, which act as anchor groups on the colored pigment particles. The pigments themselves are preferably phthalocyanine pigments. As a result of the predispersing, aggregation of the pigment particles is effectively prevented so that uniform coloration of the radiation-sensitive layer is achieved. During development of the imagewise exposed recording materials, the colored pigment particles form virtually no insoluble precipitates.

Abstract: The invention relates to a dummy plate for offset printing which essentially consists of a plate, foil or band-shaped, mechanically cally and/or electrochemically roughened, anodically oxidized and hydrophilized aluminium support and a non-light-sensitive, water-soluble layer applied thereto, where the layer comprises at least one copolymer which has monomer units having pendant groups of the formulae —CO—NH— and/or —CO—N< and whose solubility in water at a temperature of 25° C. is at least 50 g/l, and at least one acidic compound and/or a salt thereof. Due to the coating, the surface remains permanently hydrophilic. The dummy plate can be used in the printing machine without pretreatment. During printing, the layer is completely removed by the fountain solution after a short time without the paper web and the rubber blanket cylinder sticking to one another during proof printing.

Abstract: The invention relates to a recording material having a dimensionally stable, two-dimensional support, preferably an aluminium support, and a negative-working, radiation-sensitive layer which comprises a diazonium salt, a polymeric binder and a sulphobetaine. In addition, the layer may also comprise a polymerizable monomer or oligomer and a photopolymerization initiator. The front of the recording material may be matted or pigmented, and the back may be coated with an organic polymeric material. The sulphobetaine improves the solubility of the diazonium salts in aqueous-alkaline developers without reducing the resistance of the offset printing plates produced from the recording material.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of a photosensitive recording material for the production of offset printing plates which comprises a dimensionally stable, two-dimensional support of a metal or metal alloy and a silver halide-containing, photosensitive layer on the front of the support and a layer which essentially consists of an organic polymeric material and is resistant to processing chemicals on the back of the support. The layer on the back of the support is applied before the photosensitive coating on the front. The invention furthermore relates to a corresponding recording material in which the layer on the back comprises at least one organic polymer having a glass transition temperature Tg of 50° C. or above. Due to the back coating, the formation of local elements between the metallic support and the silver-containing layer is reliably prevented when the recording materials are stacked.

Abstract: The invention relates to a recording material having a substrate and a negative-working, radiation-sensitive layer which contains a diazonium salt, at least one film-forming, polymeric binder and organic colored pigments, on the surface of which an organic polymeric dispersant has been adsorbed and which are additionally dispersed in an organic polymeric binder which does not permanently combine with the pigments chemically or physically. The dispersant generally has groups, in particular primary, secondary or tertiary amino groups or derivatives thereof, which act as anchor groups on the colored pigment particles. The pigments themselves are preferably phthalocyanine pigments. As a result of the predispersing, aggregation of the pigment particles is effectively prevented so that uniform coloration of the radiation-sensitive layer is achieved. During development of the imagewise exposed recording materials, the colored pigment particles form virtually no insoluble precipitates.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of a photosensitive recording material for the production of offset printing plates which comprises a dimensionally stable, two-dimensional support of a metal or metal alloy and a silver halide-containing, photosensitive layer on the front of the support and a layer which essentially consists of an organic polymeric material and is resistant to processing chemicals on the back of the support. The layer on the back of the support is applied before the photosensitive coating on the front. The invention furthermore relates to a corresponding recording material in which the layer on the back comprises at least one organic polymer having a glass transition temperature Tg of 50° C. or above. Due to the back coating, the formation of local elements between the metallic support and the silver-containing layer is reliably prevented when the recording materials are stacked.

Abstract: The invention relates to a radiation-sensitive recording material for the production of offset printing plates having a dimensionally stable support, a radiation-sensitive layer located on the front of the support, and a layer which comprises an organic polymeric material having a glass transition temperature of 35° C. or above and in which pigment particles are embedded and which is resistant to processing chemicals and is located on the back of the support. The pigment particles are preferably silica gel particles having a mean diameter of from 0.1 to 50 &mgr;m or organic particles having a mean diameter of from 3 to 10 &mgr;m. The image layer on the front may be matted or pigmented. The back coating enables the recording material to be stacked without separating paper. The image layer located on the front is not scratched by the pigmented back coating during storage and transport and during removal from the stack.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a method for making a lithographic printing plate comprising the steps of a) exposing imagewise to IR-radiation a heat mode imaging element having 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 which top layer is unpenetrable by an alkaline developer and contains a compound capable of converting light into heat, wherein said first layer and said top layer may be one and the same layer; and b) developing said imagewise exposed heat mode imaging element with said alkaline developer whereby the exposed areas of the first and the top layer, which may be the same, are dissolved and the unexposed areas of the first layer remain undissolved characterized in that said alkaline developer has a pH of at least 12 and a surface tension of at least 30 mN/m.

Abstract: A dummy plate is provided for offset printing which essentially consists of a plate-, sheet- or band-form, mechanically and/or electro-chemically roughened, anodically oxidized and optionally hydrophilized aluminium support and a non-photosensitive, water-soluble protective layer applied thereto, characterized in that the layer contains a water-soluble organic compound which contains at least one OH- or NH-acidic group having a pKa value of ≦8 as acid or salt, and has a layer thickness which is smaller than the average roughness ra of the support material, determined by optical means. Even after extended storage at elevated temperature, the dummy plate can easily be used without an additional development step and exhibits no tendency to stick.

Abstract: A dummy plate is provided for offset printing which essentially consists of a plate-, sheet- or band-form, mechanically and/or electro-chemically roughened, anodically oxidized and optionally hydrophilized aluminium support and a non-photosensitive, water-soluble protective layer applied thereto, characterized in that the layer contains a water-soluble organic compound which contains at least one OH- or NH-acidic group having a pKa value of .ltoreq.8 as acid or salt, and has a layer thickness which is smaller than the average roughness ra of the support material, determined by optical means. Even after extended storage at elevated temperature, the dummy plate can easily be used without an additional development step and exhibits no tendency to stick.