A recording medium comprises an oleophilic substrate and, thereover, a topmost oleophobic layer comprising a cured polymeric silicone matrix that consists essentially of the addition-cure reaction product of a vinyl-functional polydialkylsiloxane and a silane cross-linking agent. The vinyl-functional polydialkylsiloxane has a molecular weight ranging from 30,000 to 75,000 or 110,000 to 130,000. If the molecular weight of the vinyl-functional polydialkylsiloxane is within the range of 30,000 to 75,000, the molar ratio of silane groups to vinyl groups is within the range of about 11:1 to about 25:1; and if the molecular weight of the vinyl-functional polydialkylsiloxane is within the range of 110,000 to 130,000, the molar ratio of silane groups to vinyl groups is from about 5:1 to about 27:1. The recording medium may be used as a lithographic printing plate.

An imaging member includes a surface layer comprising a fluoroelastomer-perfluoropolyether composite formed from a reaction mixture comprising a fluoroelastomer and a perfluoropolyether compound. Methods of manufacturing the imaging member and processes for variable lithographic printing using the imaging member are also disclosed.

A method of preparing a printing form precursor for printing, or a printed circuit board precursor or a semiconductor precursor, the method comprising the step of applying electromagnetic radiation having a pulse duration of not greater than 110.sup.6 seconds, in an imagewise manner, to an imagable surface of the precursor. The imaging process may cause ablation of the coating of the precursor or permit its development in a developer. In each case the imaging radiation needs not be tuned to imaging chemistry (if any) present in the coating. Alternatively the imaging process may induce a change of hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity, or other change of state, of an uncoated substrate.

The present invention relates to using soft secondary plates and specialty inks in a printing process. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and methods of using soft secondary plates made of a rubber comprising a saturated chain of polymethylene or a photopolymer material to decorate an exterior surface of cylindrical metallic containers with high definition graphics and other indicia.

A printing form precursor comprises a printing surface which comprises an inorganic metal compound, the printing surface being hydrophobic and capable of being made hydrophilic by energy but capable of becoming hydrophobic again, for reuse, if desired. An associated method of printing includes steps of subjecting the printing surface imagewise to energy so as to locally increase its hydrophilicity sufficient to make the surface differentiated in its acceptance of an oleophilic a printing ink; applying the ink to the printing surface and printing from the printing surface; causing or allowing the printing surface to undergo a reduction in hydrophilicity sufficient again to make the printing surface uniform in its acceptance of a printing ink; and, if wished, repeating these steps on multiple occasions. Thus the invention achieves the goal of providing a printing form precursor which does not need a chemical developer, and which can be used multiple times, to print different images.

An object of the present invention is to provide a flexographic printing plate having excellent printing durability and hardly causing ink picking, and a method for manufacturing the same. The flexographic printing plate of the present invention is a flexographic printing plate in which an image area satisfies a requirement C.

Requirement C: assuming that a shading of an image expressed by the image area is formed by halftone dots having a screen ruling , in a case where a region of the image area corresponding to a region where a diameter of the halftone dots is less than 17 m is defined as X, a region of the image area corresponding to a region where a diameter of the halftone dots is 17 m or more and 45 m or less is defined as Y, and a region of the image area corresponding to a region where a diameter of the halftone dots is more than 45 m is defined as Z, in X, the shading is formed by irregularly arranged halftone dots P having a diameter of 17 m or more and 45 m or less, in Y, the shading is formed by irregularly arranged halftone dots P having a diameter of 17 m or more and 45 m or less, or by halftone dots Q having the screen ruling , and in Z, the shading is formed by halftone dots Q having the screen ruling , provided that a diameter of halftone dots Pmin having the smallest diameter is equal to or less than a diameter of the halftone dots Q.

Disclosed is a multilayer film for packaging. The multilayer film has a layer of ink and an adjacent layer of substrate. The layer of ink includes functionalised graphene and a material selected from cellulose, polylactic acid and a polyhydroxyalkanoate.

Disclosed is a multilayer film for packaging. The multilayer film has a layer of ink and an adjacent layer of substrate. The layer of ink includes functionalised graphene and a material selected from cellulose, polylactic acid and a polyhydroxyalkanoate.