Abstract: A relief manufacturing apparatus includes: a laser beam irradiating device configured to irradiate laser beam on an engraving material; a scanning device configured to move at least one of the engraving material and the laser beam irradiating device; a numerical value acquiring device configured to acquire a numerical value including a first inclination angle indicating inclination of the inclined face of the relief; a control device configured to control the scanning device and the laser beam irradiating device so that the laser beam is irradiated on a surface of the engraving material to form an initial inclined face having a second inclination angle smaller than the first inclination angle and thereafter the laser beam is irradiated on the initial inclined face to enlarge the inclination of the inclined face from the second inclination angle to the first inclination angle.

Abstract: A printing plate making apparatus which scans a recording medium by light beam in a predetermined pixel pitch, thereby engraving a surface of the recording medium to make a printing plate, wherein an upper surface of a convex portion of light power of the light beam engraving all or part of an adjacent region which is adjacent to a convex portion which is to be left in a convex shape on a surface of the recording medium is set to an threshold engraving energy or less, and light power of light beam in a vicinity region in vicinity of outer side of a region defined as the adjacent region is brought higher than light power in the adjacent region.

Abstract: A printing plate making apparatus which scans a recording medium by light beam in a predetermined pixel pitch, thereby engraving a surface of the recording medium to make a printing plate, wherein an upper surface of a convex portion of light power of the light beam engraving all or part of an adjacent region which is adjacent to a convex portion which is to be left in a convex shape on a surface of the recording medium is set to an threshold engraving energy or less, and light power of light beam in a vicinity region in vicinity of outer side of a region defined as the adjacent region is brought higher than light power in the adjacent region.

Abstract: A printing plate making apparatus which scans a recording medium by light beam in a predetermined pixel pitch, thereby engraving a surface of the recording medium to make a printing plate, wherein an upper surface of a convex portion of light power of the light beam engraving all or part of an adjacent region which is adjacent to a convex portion which is to be left in a convex shape on a surface of the recording medium is set to an threshold engraving energy or less, and light power of light beam in a vicinity region in vicinity of outer side of a region defined as the adjacent region is brought higher than light power in the adjacent region.

Abstract: An exposure device engraves an image on the surface of a recording medium by scanning and exposing the recording medium with a light beam emitted from an exposure head. The exposure head comprises a light source for emitting a light beam, an exposure lens for causing the light beam to form an image on or close to the surface of the recording medium, a direction changer disposed upstream or downstream of the exposure lens in the direction in which the light beam travels, and/or inside of the exposure lens on the optical path of a light beam having a numerical aperture higher than a given numerical aperture to change the direction of the light beam having a numerical aperture higher than a given numerical aperture in such a manner as not to affect the process of engraving an image on a surface of the recording medium.

Abstract: A multi-beam exposure scanning method includes: simultaneously emitting a plurality of beams with an interval between scanning lines toward a recording medium; and performing engraving on a surface of the recording medium by performing exposure scanning a plurality of times with a same scanning line, the method further includes: repeatedly performing interlaced exposure using a beam group with an interval between adjacent beams N times (N is an integer equal to 2 or more) larger than the interval between the scanning lines N×m times (m is an integer equal to 2 or more) on a first area surrounding a flat-shaped target area to be left on the surface, to expose each of the scanning lines m times; and performing non-interlaced exposure using a beam group with an interval between adjacent beams equal to the interval between the scanning lines on a second area, which is outside the first area.

Abstract: This invention is concerning a multibeam exposure scanning method and apparatus, and a method of manufacturing a printing plate. The problem to be solved is that the influence of the heat from adjacent beams accompanying multibeam exposure is effectively reduced, and a desired shape having a very small size is formed with high precision.

Abstract: This invention is concerning a multibeam exposure scanning method and apparatus, and a method of manufacturing a printing plate. The problem to be solved is that angular small convex points are to be stably formed through multibeam exposure. The above problem is to be solved by a multibeam exposure scanning method for engraving the surface of a recording medium by simultaneously emitting beams to expose and scan the same scanning line two or more times.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention provides a multi-beam exposure scanning method for exposing and scanning same scanning lines a plurality of times by simultaneously irradiating an object with a plurality of light beams to engrave a surface of the object. The method includes a first exposure scanning process of forming a first shape (110), which defines an outline shape of a target planar shape (121) to be left on an exposure surface of the object and an inclined section (122) around the target planar shape (121), with a first beam group, and a second exposure scanning process of forming a second shape (120), which defines a final shape of the target planar shape (121) and the inclined section (122) around the target planar shape (121), by exposing and scanning with a second beam group the same scanning lines as the scanning lines exposed and scanned in the first exposure scanning process.

Abstract: In a multi-beam exposure scanning method, when an irradiation region, which is a region on an object to be irradiated with a single beam, is exposed, the light quantity of the beam is controlled based on an exposed state of another irradiation region around the irradiation region to be exposed. When the other irradiation region near a periphery of the irradiation region to be exposed has not been exposed, the irradiation region is irradiated with a beam having a first light quantity. When the other irradiation region has been exposed, the irradiation region is irradiated with a beam having a second light quantity smaller than the first light quantity. Accordingly, influence of heat due to an adjacent beam can be effectively reduced.

Abstract: A relief manufacturing apparatus includes: a laser beam irradiating device configured to irradiate laser beam on an engraving material; a scanning device configured to move at least one of the engraving material and the laser beam irradiating device; a numerical value acquiring device configured to acquire a numerical value including a first inclination angle indicating inclination of the inclined face of the relief; a control device configured to control the scanning device and the laser beam irradiating device so that the laser beam is irradiated on a surface of the engraving material to form an initial inclined face having a second inclination angle smaller than the first inclination angle and thereafter the laser beam is irradiated on the initial inclined face to enlarge the inclination of the inclined face from the second inclination angle to the first inclination angle.

Abstract: A multi-beam exposure apparatus of the present invention includes a two-dimensional light modulator which is configured to project plural exposure beam spots onto an exposure surface, the plural exposure beam spots being arranged in parallel with the scanning direction while two-dimensionally arrayed; and a pixel block shifting member which divides the plural beam spots into plural blocks in the scanning direction and projects the plural exposure beam spots onto the exposure surface by shifting a relative position between the blocks in a direction orthogonal to a scanning direction, and thereby the scan-exposing of a space between the exposure beam spots in the direction orthogonal to the scanning direction is performed with the exposure beam spot of another block. According to the multi-beam exposure apparatus, the number of dots which can simultaneously be exposed in the direction orthogonal to the scanning direction can be increased.

Abstract: An exposure device engraves an image on the surface of a recording medium by scanning and exposing the recording medium with a light beam emitted from an exposure head. The exposure head comprises a light source for emitting a light beam, an exposure lens for causing the light beam to form an image on or close to the surface of the recording medium, a direction changer disposed upstream or downstream of the exposure lens in the direction in which the light beam travels, and/or inside of the exposure lens on the optical path of a light beam having a numerical aperture higher than a given numerical aperture to change the direction of the light beam having a numerical aperture higher than a given numerical aperture in such a manner as not to affect the process of engraving an image on a surface of the recording medium.

Abstract: A printing plate making apparatus which scans a recording medium by light beam in a predetermined pixel pitch, thereby engraving a surface of the recording medium to make a printing plate, wherein an upper surface of a convex portion of light power of the light beam engraving all or part of an adjacent region which is adjacent to a convex portion which is to be left in a convex shape on a surface of the recording medium is set to an threshold engraving energy or less, and light power of light beam in a vicinity region in vicinity of outer side of a region defined as the adjacent region is brought higher than light power in the adjacent region.

Abstract: A polarization-direction-controlling element comprising a ½ wavelength plate disposed with a crystal optical axis tilted at substantially 45 degrees with respect to a polarization direction of a beam of light separated by a polarization-separating element with a part of a laser beam transmitted, is provided on the optical path of the laser beam, outputted from a plurality of semiconductor lasers, between an outlet for the laser beams at a fiber array and a polarization-separating element for separating the laser beam into two beams of light having mutually orthogonal polarization directions. A polarization-direction-controlling element capable of improving the quality of recorded images in an exposing-recording device using an element with polarization dependency and an exposure device capable of improving the quality of recorded images can also be obtained.

Abstract: A polarization-direction-controlling element comprising a ½ wavelength plate disposed with a crystal optical axis tilted at substantially 45 degrees with respect to a polarization direction of a beam of light separated by a polarization-separating element with a part of a laser beam transmitted, is provided on the optical path of the laser beam, outputted from a plurality of semiconductor lasers, between an outlet for the laser beams at a fiber array and a polarization-separating element for separating the laser beam into two beams of light having mutually orthogonal polarization directions. A polarization-direction-controlling element capable of improving the quality of recorded images in an exposing-recording device using an element with polarization dependency and an exposure device capable of improving the quality of recorded images can also be obtained.

Abstract: The present invention provides an exposure processing method of a planographic printing plate including: providing an image recording layer containing a polymerizable compound which is solid at room temperature, a polymerization initiator, and a light-to-heat converting agent, and a microcapsule encapsulating at least one of the monomer and the polymerization initiator, such that the light energy quantity absorbed in the lower part of the image recording layer is more than the light energy quantity absorbed in the upper and middle parts of the image recording layer; exposing the image recording layer; and thereafter post-heating the image recording layer at a temperature in a range equal to or above the melting point of the monomer and below the glass transition point of the wall of the microcapsule. As a result, the printing resistance of a planographic printing plate is enhanced.

Abstract: An exposure process is executed by multi-beams divided by polarizing and combining laser beams (La, Lb) modulated based on an image signal so as to be emitted by a light source side optical system by using a polarized light beam splitter, and by converting the laser beams (La, Lb) emitted as right circular polarized light and left circular polarized light into mutually orthogonal linear polarized light by using a quarter wave plate arranged on a light path of a scanning portion, and thereafter transmitting through an optical element of uniaxial crystal. An appropriate image can be formed by setting a division width of beam spots on a scanning surface set by the optical element of uniaxial crystal such that scanning unevenness of an image formed on a scanning surface is within an allowable range even when changing resolution of the inner drum exposure apparatus.

Abstract: An array refracting element for dividing laser beams in a sub-scanning direction, which is formed by linearly disposing a pair of refracting members, each having a unit surface shape for dividing one incident laser beam into two and emitting the divided laser beams, so that directions in which the laser beams are divided are coincident with each other and so that the refracting members locate along the division direction, is disposed on an optical path of the laser beams emitted from plural semiconductor lasers, and between a laser-beam outgoing opening of a fiber array section and a recording film. As a result, an array refracting element and an exposure device, which can improve quality of a recording image at an exposure recording apparatus at a low cost, can be obtained.

Abstract: The present invention provides an exposure processing method of a planographic printing plate comprising: providing an image recording layer containing a polymerizable compound which is solid at the room temperature, a polymerization initiator, and a light-to-heat converting agent, and a microcapsule encapsulating at least one of the monomer and the polymerization initiator, such that the light energy quantity absorbed in the lower part of the image recording layer is more than the light energy quantity absorbed in the upper and middle parts of the image recording layer; exposing the image recording layer, and thereafter post-heating the image recording layer at a temperature in a range equal to or above the melting point of the monomer and below the glass transition point of the wall of the microcapsule. As a result, the printing resistance of a planographic printing plate is enhanced.