The invention relates to a base body (10) for receiving a print image structure (20), in particular for flexographic printing, comprising a sleeve (10.1), an elastic layer (10.2) applied onto the sleeve (10.1) for holding an outer carrier layer (10.3), and the outer carrier layer (103), the carrier layer (10.3) being designed in such a mariner that the print image structure (20) can be applied.

The invention relates to a method (100) for producing an image structure (12) according to an image specification (20), in particular for a letterpress process and/or intaglio printing process, characterized in that the following steps are carried out: a) providing a base (10) for receiving the image structure (12), b) producing an image structure (12) on the base (10) so that an image layer (11) is formed on the base (10) by means of the image structure (12).

A method of flood exposing a photocurable printing blank to actinic radiation from a UV LED light source, wherein a high intensity UV LED light source is modulated to a lower intensity. The method includes the steps of: (a) positioning the photocurable printing blank in an exposure unit, wherein the exposure unit comprises one or more high intensity UV LED light sources; (b) modulating intensity of the one or more high intensity UV LED light sources to a lower intensity; and (c) flood exposing the photocurable printing blank through the photographic negative or the digitally imaged mask layer to actinic radiation from the one or more modulated UV LED light sources.

The present specification describes a cliché, a method of manufacturing the cliché, and a printing method using the cliché.

The present specification describes a cliché, a method of manufacturing the cliché, and a printing method using the cliché.

A method for manufacturing a gravure plate includes, setting a certain measurement area on a surface of the gravure plate, finding at least one of a spatial volume that is the total of the volume of a space formed by a plurality of cells located in the measurement area and an average depth obtained by dividing the spatial volume by a surface area of the measurement area, and adjusting, based on a relationship between at least one of the spatial volume and the average depth and an application thickness of a printing material after printing, at least one of the spatial volume and the average depth so as to fall within at least one of a specified value range for the spatial volume and a specified value range for the average depth determined in accordance with a target value range for the application thickness.

A method for manufacturing a gravure plate includes, setting a certain measurement area on a surface of the gravure plate, finding at least one of a spatial volume that is the total of the volume of a space formed by a plurality of cells located in the measurement area and an average depth obtained by dividing the spatial volume by a surface area of the measurement area, and adjusting, based on a relationship between at least one of the spatial volume and the average depth and an application thickness of a printing material after printing, at least one of the spatial volume and the average depth so as to fall within at least one of a specified value range for the spatial volume and a specified value range for the average depth determined in accordance with a target value range for the application thickness.

A combined radiation and functional layer application system includes one or more radiation sources and a commonly located functional layer application unit configured to dispose a functional layer over the surface of a fixed target ahead of the radiation sources during relative motion between the target and the radiation sources/application unit. System and method embodiments include those in which the target is stationary or moving, and embodiments in which the functional layer is applied as a liquid or as a solid laminate. Embodiments relate to application of an oxygen-blocking layer of a printing plate prior to exposure to actinic radiation. Certain solid laminate embodiments include a two-roll system for positioning the laminate for cutting adjacent a trailing edge of the plate.

A method for applying a pattern on a mask layer includes obtaining an image file representing pixels with a first pixel size in a first direction parallel to an edge of the pixel, and a second pixel size in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, where the first and second pixel size are the same or different, treating the mask layer such that a plurality of areas with altered physical properties are created in the mask layer, the plurality of areas corresponding to a plurality of pixels of the image file, where the treatment is done such that a first and/or a second area size of an area of said plurality of areas, seen in said first and/or said second direction, is smaller than the first and/or second pixel size, respectively.

The invention relates to a method for producing pictorial relief structures on a layer construction. The method comprises the provision of a layer construction having a substrate layer. After this, at least one fluid containing at least one first reactive component is applied pictorially to the substrate, wherein the pictorial application takes place in the form of a plurality of droplets with a droplet volume of less than 2 μl, and wherein the droplets are positioned pictorially. After this, there is an at least partial diffusing of the at least one first reactive component into the substrate layer for a predefined exposure time and/or an at least partial diffusing of at least one second reactive component into the pictorially positioned droplets of fluid for a predefined exposure time, wherein the substrate layer comprises the at least one second reactive component. The created relief is then fixed under the influence of heat and/or radiation via a reaction involving the first reactive component and/or the second reactive component. Further aspects of the invention relate to a pictorial relief structure produced according to the method and to the use of the pictorial relief structure as a printing form, as a microfluidic component, as a microreactor, as a phoretic cell, as a light-controlling element for color representation, as photonic crystals or as flexible parts of items of clothing.