Abstract: Different solvents for a dampening fluid are disclosed. The solvent is a volatile hydrofluoroether liquid or a volatile silicone liquid. Such liquids have a lower heat of vaporization, a lower surface tension, and better kinematic viscosity compared to water, which is the conventional solvent used in dampening fluids. The dampening fluids, which are relatively nonpolar, can be used in a combination with polar inks to form a new type of digital lithographic printing system.

Abstract: A printing device employing a rewritable plate, includes: a first plate forming member forming a rewritable plate; a latent image forming unit as to the first plate forming member; a protrusion forming unit selectively adhering an ink-repellent particle to a portion where a latent image on the surface of the first plate forming member is formed; a second plate forming member accepting and holding the ink-repellent particle adhered onto the surface of the first plate forming member using a hollow included in the surface; a pressure adhesion unit configured to push the ink-repellent particle adhered into the hollow; and a recording material supply unit supplying a recording material to the surface of the second plate forming member; with the surface of the ink-repellent particle having a property of repelling the recording material, and also the surfaces of the plate forming members having a property not to repel the recording material.

Abstract: An Ink-based digital printing system comprises an external fluid applicator for applying multi-component, multi-functional fountain solution to a surface of an imaging plate. The plate is image wise exposed using a high power laser to remove primary components of the fountain solution from select regions of the plate according to digital image data, leaving a layer of the secondary components at said select regions. The plate is then inked with ink useful in printing. The ink adheres to the select regions from which the primary components have been removed to form an ink image. The ink image is transferred at an image transfer step wherein the secondary components enable efficient transfer of the ink to a medium with reduced image quality defects. The multi-component fountain solution comprises primary components that reject or repel ink, and secondary components that function as a release agent.

Abstract: A rotary printing press is disclosed. The press includes at least one plate-free printing unit for printing a substrate web with a static print image for print copies of a print job and at least one plate-free printing unit, in particular an inkjet printing unit for printing the substrate web with a dynamic print image. The/each plate-free printing unit can be shifted from a printing position in which the substrate web can be printed by the same printing unit, into a service position in which no substrate web can be printed by the same printing unit. A device which is assigned to the service position is printable by at least one plate-free printing unit that is shifted into the service position, such that the printing parameters of the same can be verified and adapted to subsequent printing of the substrate web in the printing position.

Abstract: A reusable printing form is treated after printing. The printing form has a substrate provided with amphiphilic molecules and it is cleaned to remove printing ink and provided with amphiphilic molecules, for fresh printing in the course of a reimaging process. Here, the printing form is provided with amphiphilic molecules in the course of the reimaging process substantially before cleaning to remove the printing ink.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus picks up each one of sheets stacked in a tray, allows a detecting sensor to detect whether a mark indicating a reusable sheet is assigned to the picked-up sheet, and cumulates the sheet in which the mark is not detected by the detecting sensor in a cumulative unit. The image forming apparatus erases a color of an image forming material by heating the sheet of which the mark is detected by the detecting sensor and receives the sheet of which the image forming material is erased in a sheet cassette. The image forming apparatus forms an image with the image forming material erasable by applying heat to the sheet received in the sheet cassette.

Abstract: A method for treating a re-imageable printing form includes surface modifying a surface of the printing form acting as a printing area in a nanoscopic range by chemically functionalizing the surface through covering with molecules, in particular amphiphilic molecules or polymers. The printing form is subjected to a primary process of imaging by laser radiation, and subjected to a primary process of application of at least one lithographic fluid, for example dampening solution, printing ink and/or varnish. The molecules are fixed in image regions by the primary process of imaging. The molecules are removed in non-image regions substantially by at least one primary process different than the application of printing ink, in particular by imaging, application of dampening solution or chemical developing. An apparatus for treating a re-imageable printing form, a machine for processing printing material and a method for treating a surface contacting printing material, are also provided.

Abstract: A printing plate suitable for retaining ink in an imagewise fashion on a main surface thereof defines an array of pixel-sized cavities. Each cavity has associated therewith a quantity of a light-induced shape-memory polymer. When a cavity is exposed with energy, such as from an imaging laser, the quantity of polymer changes shape and/or position, thereby allowing a relatively greater quantity of ink to be retained in the cavity. The printing plate is then inked, to from a transferable image. The apparatus as a whole enables a gravure-like printing plate to be repeatedly imaged using digital image data.

Abstract: A reimageable printing member such as for use in flexography, includes a layer having a multiplicity of holes, wherein the holes include therein a dimension change material and a printing material upon the dimension change material. Thus, the holes house vertically expandable units, the top portion of which is capable of protruding out of an opening of the hole at a top surface of the layer. Each of the holes may be individually addressed to provide a stimulus that initiates a change in dimension in the dimension change material. In this manner, selected ones of the units may be made to print a corresponding portion of an image on an image receiving substrate brought into contact with the printing member.

Abstract: In a method for imaging a lithographic printing form, subareas of a surface of the lithographic printing form which are covered by amphiphilic molecules, are exposed to electromagnetic radiation. Following the exposure and before printing from the lithographic printing form, the subareas are treated with at least one complex-forming substance, so that a lithographic printing area structured into hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions is obtained.

Abstract: A method and device for producing a permanent as well as erasable image on a printing plate, in particular within a printing press, is disclosed. A printing plate with a rewritable and erasable surface is made available. The surface of the printing plate made available is erased and a permanent and erasable image is created on the erased surface. Following the erasing of the surface, the surface is imaged, gummed and fixed, namely in such a way that, on the one hand, the imaging and the gumming and the fixing occur relative to the erasing in a chronologically sequential and spatially sequential manner, and that, on the other hand, the imaging and the gumming and the fixing each occur relative to one another in a chronologically parallel but spatially sequential manner.

Abstract: A reusable printing plate, in particular for use both in wet offset printing and in dry offset printing, includes a printing area and a metal oxide surface treated with at least one fluorinated phosphonic acid. A printing press and a printing unit having the printing plate, a process for imaging the printing plate and a process for preparation of a fluorinated organic phosphonic acid are also provided.

Abstract: A printing unit having at least one press unit, the, or each, press unit having at least one form cylinder, a transfer cylinder, an inking unit and preferably a damping unit, and having at least one imaging device for imaging and/or de-imaging a rewritable and erasable printing form positioned on the form cylinder. The inking unit, if appropriate together with the damping unit, can be pivoted with respect to a form cylinder from a printing position into a rest position. The imaging device can be pivoted with respect to the form cylinder from an imaging position into a rest position. The imaging device is pivoted into a rest position when the inking unit and, if appropriate, damping unit is pivoted into the printing position and, when the imaging device is pivoted into the imaging position, the inking unit and, if appropriate, the damping unit is pivoted into a rest position.

Abstract: There is prepared a printing plate on which a material being hydrophilic due to light energy at a first temperature and being hydrophobic at a second temperature due to heat energy which is lower than the first temperature is provided. First, the whole surface of the printing plate is forcibly made either one of hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Next, a region having the other nature out of hydrophobic and hydrophilic is formed so as to correspond to an image to be printed. Then, ink is supplied onto the region having hydrophobic nature to conduct offset printing.

Abstract: In a method and device to generate a print image on a carrier material, a surface of a print carrier is coated with a layer which is one of ink-repelling and ink-attracting. In the structuring process, ink-attracting regions and ink-repelling regions are generated. Ink that adheres to the ink-attracting regions and that is not absorbed by the ink-repelling regions is applied on the surface. The applied ink is transferred onto the carrier material. Before a new structure process on the same surface of the print carrier, the surface is cleaned and recoated with said layer. Before the application of said layer, a wetting-aiding substance is applied with a molecular layer thickness. A surfactant with hydrophilic molecule sections is used as the wetting-aiding substance.

Abstract: A printing press, and an apparatus and a process for regenerating a printing plate can repetitiously reuse the same printing plate and shorten time for decomposition of image areas formed by a hydrophobic organic compound under irradiation with activating light to delete the image areas. A process for regenerating a printing plate including a photosensitive layer, formed on the surface of a substrate, having a photocatalyst exhibits hydrophilicity responsive to activating light having energy higher than the photocatalyst's band-gap energy, and one or more hydrophobic image areas, formed on the surface of the photosensitive layer and operable to hold ink, comprises the steps of: removing ink remaining on the printing plate; hydrophilizing the surface of the printing plate by irradiating with the activating light and by heating the printing plate to delete the hydrophobic image areas; and applying an organic compound onto the printing plate.

Abstract: A wet offset printing form has a top layer containing a photocatalytically and thermally modifiable material. The material can be brought photocatalytically into a hydrophilic state by irradiation with light and into a lipophilic state by heating. The hydrophilic state forms a surface that can be illustrated and the lipophilic state forms an illustrated surface. The top layer of the wet offset printing form may contain absorption centers for irradiation, especially for laser radiation in the NIR range, with which heating of the top layer in the pattern of an image is brought about.

Abstract: A layered formation, possibly used as a printing plate that is to be mounted to a printing press when performing printing, has a photocatalystic layer including a photocatalyst so that the surface of the photocatalyst layer is rapidly hydrophilized by irradiating with light having a lower irradiating energy. The layered formation or a printing plate includes an intermediate layer having two or more kinds of oxide semiconductors or a solid acid between a substrate and the photocatalyst layer.

Abstract: There is prepared a printing plate on which a material being hydrophilic at a first temperature and being hydrophobic at a second temperature which is lower than the first temperature is provided. First, the whole surface of the printing plate is forcibly made either one of hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Next, a region having the other nature out of hydrophobic and hydrophilic is formed so as to correspond to an image to be printed. Then, ink is supplied onto the region having hydrophobic nature to conduct offset printing.

Abstract: The regenerative plate making and printing process, and plate making and printing apparatus of the present invention are applied to a printing system requiring a separate developing step independent of a printing step.

Abstract: Presented is a reusable printing form including a printing area that has a metal oxide surface, in particular a native oxidized titanium surface, which is treated with at least one amphiphilic organic compound whose polar region has an acidic character. In an advantageous embodiment, n-heptadecanyl hydroxamic acid {CH3-(CH2)16-C(O)—NH—OH} and/or n-octadecanyl phosphonic acid {CH3-(CH2)17-P(O)—(OH)2} is used. Also described is a method for imaging a reusable printing form. The reusable printing form can be used for offset printing.

Abstract: A printing plate material which can be adapted to digitization of the printing process and recycled and a method for renewing it. As the printing plate material, there can be used one which includes a substrate on the surface of which a coat layer containing a titanium oxide photocatalyst and at least one member selected from salts or oxides of Fe2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Cr3+, and Cu2+ is formed. In an initial state of the printing plate as prepared, it is adjusted to a state where the surface of the coat layer is hydrophobic. This surface is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to convert a part of the surface to a hydrophilic surface. This conversion is performed based on digital data corresponding to an image to be printed. In this case, the hydrophobic portion is used as a printing image portion and the hydrophilic portion is used as a non-printing image portion.

Abstract: A method for producing multicolor printing, by using printing plates provided digitally with images and/or print, represents an efficient solution for multi-color printing, in particular in a large format. Printing plates, which had been used in a printing press, are removed from the printing form cylinders, are sent to a device for neutralization, and are neutralized. The neutralized printing plates are fixed at correct registration in an exposure and development unit where they are exposed and developed. The printing plates provided with new images are again applied to the printing form cylinder.

Abstract: A direct-to-press imaging method comprises: (a) applying an imageable coating to a printing cylinder, wherein the imageable coating comprises a composition such as a thermally switchable polymer which changes affinity for a printing fluid upon exposure to imaging radiation such as infrared radiation delivered imagewise via a laser, and the imageable coating is substantially insoluble in the printing fluid; (b) imagewise exposing the imageable coating to actinic radiation to obtain an imaged coating; (c) printing a plurality of copies of an image from the imaged coating; and (d) reapplying the imageable coating as desired by repeating steps (a) through (c) at least once without substantially removing the prior imaged coating before reapplying the imageable coating.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for removing ink-accepting areas from a printing master by laser ablation, characterized in that the printing master comprises a substrate which comprises a support and a base layer, wherein the base layer contains a crosslinked hydrophilic binder and a metal oxide. The base layer prevents deterioration of the quality of the substrate due to the laser ablation. In a preferred embodiment, the same substrate is used in a number of consecutive printing cycles of on-press coating, on-press exposure, printing and cleaning.

Abstract: A method for removing ink-accepting areas of a lithographic printing master is disclosed which enables to recycle the lithographic substrate of the printing master. The method comprises after a cleaning step a treatment of the recycled substrate with an aqueous solution having a pH<7.

Abstract: A method for imaging a printing form in which the printing form is charged on its entire surface and is coated on its entire surface with particles, in particular toner particles, which bear the opposite charge. The layer formed by the particles is then fixed in accordance with the image by a beam, in particular a laser beam, and especially by infrared radiation, on the surface of the printing form or ablated in accordance with the image. Thereupon, the unfixed portions of the layer are removed or the non-ablated portions are fixed by full-surface heat treatment.

Abstract: An imaging unit for a printing form cylinder of a printing press, the printing form cylinder having a width, the imaging unit comprising: an imaging unit comprising, in combination: a cleaning unit, a coating unit positioned below said cleaning unit, an image creating unit positioned below said coating unit, and an image developing unit positioned below said image creating unit. Each of the cleaning, coating, image creating and image developing units traverse over the width of the printing form cylinder thereby rendering reverse movement without active operation to the other side of the printing form cylinder unnecessary.

Abstract: A printing unit for a rotary printing machine with reversible image setting and digital changeover by means of thermal transfer, having an image-setting unit, an erasing or cleaning component and at least one inking unit. In order to achieve further cost advantages and miniaturization for such a printing unit, in particular for use in small edition color printing (digital offset press), the form cylinder and blanket cylinder are combined into one cylinder. In order to produce the reversible setting of an image (form production), this cylinder is provided with a hydrophilic surface and interacts directly with an impression cylinder in order to print on a substrate. The image-setting unit and erasing or cleaning component and inking unit are set against this cylinder.

Abstract: There is prepared a printing plate on which a material being hydrophilic at a first temperature and being hydrophobic at a second temperature which is lower than the first temperature is provided. First, the whole surface of the printing plate is forcibly made either one of hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Next, a region having the other nature out of hydrophobic and hydrophilic is formed so as to correspond to an image to be printed. Then, ink is supplied onto the region having hydrophobic nature to conduct offset printing.

Abstract: An off-press plate-making apparatus is provided which comprises an apparatus for removing the lithographic image from the substrate of a used printing master and an apparatus for recoating the recycled substrate with a new image-recording layer. The off-press cleaning and recoating of the substrate provides a short press down-time. The recoated substrate forms an imaging material which can be exposed either on-press in a digital press comprising an integrated exposure apparatus or off-press in an exposure apparatus, which can be integrated in the plate-making apparatus or mechanically coupled thereto.

Abstract: A method for modifying an image surface of a printing plate includes identifying a location of a pixel of an image at the image surface, an ink being disposed at the location of the pixel. The ink at the location of the pixel is then irradiated using a laser imaging system. The ink may be cured by the radiation so that it is hardened and useable to receive liquid ink and be used as a printing surface. The ink may be ablated and removed. Individual pixels of the image may be added or removed from the printing surface.

Abstract: A method for making a printing plate including a step of forming a hydrophobic image area on at least a part of a hydrophilic surface of a plate. The plate surface contains a photocatalyst and the image area is formed by using an organic compound which is decomposed and removed by the irradiation of light having a higher energy than the band gap energy of the photocatalyst.

Abstract: The recording medium comprises a recording layer. The recording layer has a first material and a second material independently dispersed. The first material has a property that a backward contact angle to a liquid lowers when the material is heated in a state of being in contact with the liquid, and that the value of the backward contact angle recovers when heated in the air. The second material has a polyorgano-siloxane structure.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method for preparing a printing member by coating a printing cylinder with a layer comprising ultraviolet-curable silicones and curing the layer using ultraviolet radiation.

Abstract: A lithographic printing plate precursor comprising a water-resistant support having provided thereon a light-sensitive layer containing fine titanium oxide grains doped with a metallic ion which absorb a visible ray and a complex composed of an organo-metallic polymer which is formed by a hydrolysis polymerization condensation reaction of a compound represented by formula (I) shown below and an organic polymer which has a group capable of forming a hydrogen bond with the organo-metallic polymer: (R0)nM(Y)x−n  (I) wherein R0 represents a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group or a heterocyclic group; Y represents a reactive group; M represents a metallic atom having from 3 to 6 valences; x represents a valence of the metallic atom M; and n represents 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, provided that the balance of x−n is not less than 2. A method for the preparation of a lithographic printing plate using the lithographic printing plate precursor is also disclosed.

Abstract: A process for treating a used or unused printing plate with an erasing composition to clean the printing plate, laser imaging the printing plate with a polymeric substance, and to provide art image thereon, and fixing the image on the printing plate. Further, the printing plate has applied thereto any one of a heat-curable and water-soluble substance, if desired, immediately after the laser imaging, or a water-soluble substance immediately after the laser imaging, followed by warming of the printing plate. The water-soluble substance or the heat-curable and water-soluble substance is washed off using a solution essentially consisting of water before printing.

Abstract: A method for removing ink-accepting areas of a lithographic printing master is disclosed which enables to recycle the lithographic substrate of the printing master. The method comprises the following step which is preferably carried out on-press: applying a cleaning liquid to the printing master, the cleaning liquid being an emulsion of an organic compound in water, further comprising a compound according to formula (I): wherein X=OH, O−, a polymer backbone.

Abstract: A direct-to-plate method of lithographic printing is disclosed wherein a printing press is used that is coupled to a coating apparatus and to a cleaning apparatus; wherein the coating apparatus applies an image-recording layer on a substrate so as to obtain a printing plate, which is mechanically transferred to the printing press; and wherein, after the print job, the printing plate is mechanically transferred to the cleaning apparatus wherein the substrate is recycled, so that the recycled substrated can be reused in a next cycle of coating, printing and cleaning. The off-press coating and the off-press cleaning step provide a fully automated printing method wherein the press down-time is minimized. The method comprises also an off-press or an on-press exposure step.

Abstract: There is prepared a printing plate on which a material being hydrophilic at a first temperature and being hydrophobic at a second temperature which is lower than the first temperature is provided. First, the whole surface of the printing plate is forcibly made either one of hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Next, a region having the other nature out of hydrophobic and hydrophilic is formed so as to correspond to an image to be printed. Then, ink is supplied onto the region having hydrophobic nature to conduct offset printing.

Abstract: A printing method is disclosed wherein a grained and anodized aluminum support is coated with an image recording layer comprising hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles. The heat-sensitive imaging material thus obtained is then image-wise exposed and processed, thereby obtaining a material having a lithographic image which consists of hydrophobic printing areas on a hydrophilic support and which is used as a printing master in a printing press. After the press run, the lithographic support is recycled by removing the hydrophobic printing areas from the hydrophilic surface of the aluminum support. The recycled support is then reused in a next cycle of coating, exposing, processing and printing. By using a grained and anodized aluminum support having a hydrophilic surface with a surface roughness, expressed as arithmetical mean center-line roughness Ra, which is less than 0.45 &mgr;m, the run length of the printing master is improved.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for imaging surfaces in printing presses, whereby the surfaces to be imaged contains image information of the preceding printing job. The apparatus allows a fast and low-cost regeneration of surfaces carrying image information in printing presses. The apparatus comprises at least one printing form cylinder, a disengageable inking unit, and a movable imaging unit having an image creation unit for applying image information to image and non-image carrying layers on the surface. The imaging unit has an erasing unit preceding the movable imaging unit in the moving direction.

Abstract: A method for making a reusable printing plate in which a hydrophobic image area is formed on a hydrophilic plate surface containing a photocatalyst. The method includes the steps of carrying out a hydrophobic agent application process in which a solution containing an organic compound having a property of reacting with the plate surface by a heating process and a property of being decomposed by the action of the photocatalyst when irradiated by light having a higher energy than a band gap energy of the photocatalyst is applied on the plate surface; carrying out an image area formation process in which a part of the plate surface is subjected to a heating process to form a hydrophobic image area; and carrying out a non-image area formation process in which the organic compound applied to an area other than the hydrophobic image area on the plate surface is removed.

Abstract: A liquid transfer article is provided including a support assembly and an imaged surface formed directly on the surface of the support assembly by digital photopolymerization. The support assembly is in the form of a polymeric base, and the liquid transfer article is formed by providing a liquid photopolymer on the surface of the base and then irradiating the polymer with a light source to form the image. The liquid transfer article is reimagable and may be used in gravure printing processes, as well as other printing applications.

Abstract: A dry erase member for receiving and releasably retaining a marking composition comprises a substrate coated with a layer of dry erase material on a first face thereof. In specific embodiments, the dry erase coating includes a major amount of a fluorinated polymer or a cellulose acetate based polymer, together with a minor amount of a melamine resin. The dry erase member may include a layer of adhesive on a second face of the substrate to allow for temporary or permanent mounting of the dry erase member onto a surface. In specific embodiments, the dry erase member is flexible. Also disclosed is a dust retaining strip for use with dry erase boards.

Abstract: A printing press includes a blanket cleaning controller, automatic plate change unit, image exposing section, pre-inking controller, and CPU. The blanket cleaning controller cleans a blanket mounted on a blanket cylinder. The automatic plate change unit changes a printing plate mounted on a plate cylinder to a new printing plate. The image exposing section exposes an image on the printing plate mounted on the plate cylinder. The pre-inking controller forms, on an ink roller group, an ink film thickness distribution corresponding to an image to be exposed next. The CPU automatically drives the blanket cleaning controller, automatic plate change unit, image exposing section, and pre-inking controller in an operation order set by a start command.

Abstract: A printing press includes an ink roller group, image exposing section, pre-inking controller, and CPU. The ink roller group supplies ink stored in an ink fountain to a printing plate mounted on a plate cylinder. The image exposing section exposes an image on a printing plate before plate making which is mounted on the plate cylinder. The pre-inking controller forms an ink film thickness distribution corresponding to the image to be exposed on the printing plate on the ink roller group. The CPU performs image exposing and ink film thickness distribution formation concurrently at least partly by controlling the image exposing section and the pre-inking controller. A control method for a printing press is also disclosed.

Abstract: A lithographic printing method is disclosed which comprising the steps of providing an imaging material which comprises a support and an image-recording layer that is not removable with a single-fluid ink which comprises an ink phase and a polar phase; image-wise exposure of the image-recording layer to heat or light without substantially ablating said image-recording layer, thereby switching the affinity of the image-recording towards ink or an ink-abhesive fluid and thereby creating a printing master comprising a lithographic image which consists of unexposed areas that have affinity for one phase of said ink phase and polar phase and of exposed areas that have affinity for the other phase of said ink phase and polar phase; printing, wherein the single-fluid ink is supplied to the printing master.

Abstract: A method for making a printing plate including a step of forming a hydrophobic image area on at least a part of a hydrophilic surface of a plate. The plate surface contains a photocatalyst and the image area is formed by using an organic compound which is decomposed and removed by the irradiation of light having a higher energy than the band gap energy of the photocatalyst.

Abstract: The amount of cleaning media needed for cleaning the printing forme is determined with regard to the level of coverage with ink and/or image carrier material of a printing surface and/or from image data about the printing surface. An erasing and hydrophilizing apparatus includes a cleaning apparatus and nozzles for applying a cleaning medium, the cleaning apparatus and/or the nozzles being connected to a computing and/or storage device.