Abstract:
A method of making a lithographic printing plate is disclosed which comprises the steps of providing a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising (i) a support having a hydrophilic surface or which is provided with a hydrophilic layer and (ii) a coating provided thereon which comprises hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles; exposing the coating to heat, thereby inducing coalescence of the thermoplastic polymer particles at exposed areas of the coating; developing the precursor by applying a gum solution to the coating, thereby removing non-exposed areas of the coating from the support. According to the above method, the plate precursor can be developed and gummed in a single step.
Abstract:
A method of lithographic printing is disclosed which comprises the steps of unwinding a web of a flexible lithographic base from a supply spool, the lithographic base having a hydrophilic surface, wrapping the lithographic base around a cylinder of a printing press, applying on the lithographic base an image-recording layer which is removable in a single-fluid ink or can be rendered removable in a single-fluid ink by exposure to heat or light, image-wise exposing the image-recording layer to heat or light, processing the image-recording layer by supplying single-fluid ink, thereby obtaining a printing master, printing by supplying single-fluid ink to the printing master which is mounted on a plate cylinder of the printing press; and removing the printing master from the plate cylinder, preferably by winding up on an uptake spool. Since the image-recording layer can be processed by single-fluid ink, the imaging material is suitable for on-press processing in printing presses wherein no fountain solution is supplied to the plate. The method allows a rapid, fully automatic plate change with reduced press down time.
Abstract:
A method of lithographic printing is disclosed which comprises the steps of unwinding a web of an imaging material from a supply spool, the imaging material comprising (1) a flexible lithographic base having a hydrophilic surface and (2) an image-recording layer which is removable in a single-fluid ink or can be rendered removable in a single-fluid ink by exposure to heat or light, wrapping the imaging material around a cylinder of a printing press, image-wise exposing the image-recording layer to heat or light, processing the image-recording layer by supplying single-fluid ink, thereby obtaining a printing master, printing by supplying single-fluid ink to the printing master which is mounted on a plate cylinder of the printing press, removing the printing master from the plate cylinder, preferably by winding up on an uptake spool. Since the image-recording layer can be processed by single-fluid ink, the imaging material is suitable for on-press processing in printing presses wherein no fountain solution is supplied to the plate. The method allows a rapid, fully automatic plate change with reduced press down time.