Abstract: Disclosed is a method of carrying out lithographic printing using a plate having an image recording layer capable of being developed with dampening water and/or ink, the method including: a development step in which a plate bearing a recorded image, mounted on a plate cylinder and having a given surface speed is subjected to contact with a dampening roller and/or a form roller having a surface speed differing from the surface speed of the plate, and is thereby supplied with dampening water and/or ink; and a printing step in which ink is transferred to a printing material while the dampening roller and form roller remain in contact with the plate. The method of the present invention is a lithographic printing method which uses on-machine development type plates and has a very high productivity because the amount of paper spoilage at the start of printing is low and the time until scum-free impressions are obtained is short.

Abstract: The image fixing device includes a fixing roller pair by which a recording medium having an image formed thereon is nipped and conveyed to fix the image, and a gripping/conveying unit which includes a gripping portion for gripping a leading edge of the recording medium and which conveys the recording medium between two fixing rollers while gripping the leading edge of the recording medium. In this device, at least one of the two fixing rollers of the fixing roller pair has a recess receiving the gripping portion, and is set such that when the leading edge of the recording medium gripped by the gripping portion is nipped between the two fixing rollers, the gripping portion is received by the recess. Alternatively, the device includes a roller moving unit for moving at least one of the two fixing rollers.

Abstract: There are provided a fixing device which includes a first transport path for transporting a recording medium with an image formed thereon and a fixing roll pair having at least one heating roll; and an image forming apparatus including the fixing device. The recording medium transported from the first transport path is nipped and transported to fix the image. The fixing roll pair is placed so that a rotation axis thereof is parallel to a transport surface of the first transport path and tilts with respect to a transport direction of the recording medium in the first transport path. Localized wear of a fixing roll surface caused by edges of a recording medium can be suppressed without limiting the kind of the recording medium used.

Abstract: The ink jet image forming apparatus has a forming device for forming an image on a recording medium, using ink containing particles including at least a colorant and a solvent, a fixing device for performing heat-fixing of the image formed by the forming device to thereby obtain a fixed image, a solvent removing device for removing the solvent in the ink forming the image before the heat-fixing by the fixing device, and a liquid coating device for coating the recording medium with a fixing assistant liquid for accelerating the heat-fixing of the image formed with the ink.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lithographic printing method which performs lithographic printing with emulsion ink as it is supplied from an ink fountain which is a reservoir of the emulsion ink to a lithographic printing plate, comprising the steps of: computing amounts of consumption of ink and aqueous components of the emulsion ink on the basis of a percent image area of the lithographic printing plate; and replenishing the ink fountain with at least one member of the group consisting of the ink component, the aqueous component and the emulsion ink in accordance with the computed amounts of consumption of the ink and aqueous components.

Abstract: A lithographic printing method of supplying emulsion ink to a lithographic printing plate via a form roller, and disrupting emulsion on the form roller. The degree of the emulsion's disruption before printing has started is different from the degree of disruption after printing has started. The duration of an idling mode can be shortened with the added advantage of reducing the development of waste paper right after the start of printing.

Abstract: An ink furnishing apparatus comprises an ink fountain storing ink, an ink furnishing roller engaged with the ink fountain, withdrawing the ink in the ink fountain by rotations thereof and furnishing the ink to a printing plate, and an ink contacting member formed at substantially an entire length of the ink fountain in a width direction thereof and contactable with the ink in the ink fountain.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of carrying out lithographic printing using a plate having an image recording layer capable of being developed with dampening water and/or ink, the method including:

Abstract: A method of attaching a flexible printing plate having a concavo-convex structure on the rear surface thereof and three or more notches at the plate front edge thereof on a plate cylinder using an apparatus comprising a plate front end positioning mechanism, a printing plate pressing mechanism and a plate rear end fixing mechanism together with a packing sheet having a concavo-convex structure.

Abstract: A plate-mounting member to be attached to a plate front end of a flexible plate in order to mount said flexible plate having a plurality of fixing holes onto a plate cylinder including a plate front end clamp mechanism having upper and lower teeth and at least two positioning pins disposed between upper and lower teeth, said plate-mounting member comprising a base and a plurality of fixing pins disposed on said base to be respectively inserted into said plurality of fixing holes formed in said plate front end, wherein said base is to be attached to said positioning pins disposed in said plate front end clamp mechanism to thereby position said plate front end. Also disclosed are method and apparatus for mounting a flexible printing plate.

Abstract: An ink jet printing process for forming an image directly on a printing medium by an electrostatic ink jet method of ejecting an oil ink using electrostatic field based on signals of image data and preparing a printed matter by fixing the image and an ink jet printing apparatus comprising image-forming means of forming an image directly on a printing medium based on signals of image data and image-fixing means of fixing the image formed by the image-forming means to obtain a printed matter, the image-forming means being an ink jet drawing device of ejecting an oil ink from an ejection head using electrostatic field.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lithographic printing method which performs lithographic printing with emulsion ink as it is supplied from an ink fountain which is a reservoir of the emulsion ink to a lithographic printing plate, comprising the steps of: computing amounts of consumption of ink and aqueous components of the emulsion ink on the basis of a percent image area of the lithographic printing plate; and replenishing the ink fountain with at least one member of the group consisting of the ink component, the aqueous component and the emulsion ink in accordance with the computed amounts of consumption of the ink and aqueous components.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lithographic printing method of performing lithographic printing by supplying emulsion ink to a lithographic printing plate via a form roller, comprising the steps of: supplying the emulsion ink to the form roller; and disrupting emulsion on the form roller, with a degree of the emulsion's disruption being changed before and after a start of printing. By the lithographic printing method of the present invention, the duration of idling mode can be shortened with the added advantage of reducing the development of waste paper right after the start of printing.

Abstract: Inkjet printing method having the following steps: ejecting an oily ink comprising particles to a printing medium with use of an electrostatic field according to image data signals to form an image directly on the printing medium; and fixing the image to obtain a printed matter, wherein a prevention of an aggregation and/or a precipitation of the particles is conducted at least during ink circulation, or an aggregate and/or a deposit of the particles formed at least due to a suspension of ink-flow is redispersed.

Abstract: A method of attaching a flexible printing plate having a concavo-convex structure on the rear surface thereof and three or more notches at the plate front edge thereof on a plate cylinder using an apparatus comprising a plate front end positioning mechanism, a printing plate pressing mechanism and a plate rear end fixing mechanism together with a packing sheet having a concavo-convex structure.

Abstract: A plate-making method comprising: forming an image directly on a plate material by an electrostatic ink jet method comprising ejecting an oil ink using electrostatic field based on signals of image data; and fixing said image to manufacture a printing plate, wherein said method uses: (1) an ink circulation line having the following members a, b and c: a. an ink jet ejection head, b. an ink transportation line comprising an ink feed line for feeding said oil ink to said ink jet ejection head and an ink recovery line for recovering said oil ink from said ink jet ejection head, and c.

Abstract: An ink furnishing apparatus comprises an ink fountain storing ink, an ink furnishing roller engaged with the ink fountain, withdrawing the ink in the ink fountain by rotations thereof and furnishing the ink to a printing plate, and an ink contacting member formed at substantially an entire length of the ink fountain in a width direction thereof and contactable with the ink in the ink fountain.

Abstract: An ink jet printing process comprising: forming an image directly on a printing medium by an electrostatic ink jet method comprising ejecting an oil ink using electrostatic field based on signals of image data; and preparing a printed matter by fixing said image, wherein said process uses: (1) an ink circulation line having the following members a, b and c: a. an ink jet ejection head, b. an ink transportation line comprising an ink feed line for feeding said oil ink to said ink jet ejection head and an ink recovery line for recovering said oil ink from said ink jet ejection head, and c.

Abstract: Inkjet printing method comprising: ejecting an oily ink comprising particles to a printing medium with use of an electrostatic field according to image data signals to form an image directly on the printing medium; and fixing the image to obtain a printed matter, wherein a prevention of an aggregation and/or a precipitation of the particles is conducted at least during ink circulation, or an aggregate and/or a deposit of the particles formed at least due to a suspension of ink-flow is redispersed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a plate-making method and a computer-to-cylinder type lithographic printing method, each of which comprises filtering an oil-based ink; forming an image directly on a plate material by an ink jet process comprising ejecting said filtered oil-based ink using electrostatic field based on signals of image data; and fixing said formed image to prepare a printing plate. Also disclosed are a plate-making apparatus and a computer-to-cylinder type lithographic printing method suitable for these methods, respectively.