The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a cliché for offset printing and a cliché for offset printing.

There are provided a developer management method, a developer management device, a plate-making method, and a plate-making apparatus that can prevent development residues from being adhered, can perform appropriate development, and decrease the replacement frequency of a developer. A plate-making method has a developing step of removing and developing a non-exposed portion of an imagewise exposed flexographic printing plate precursor using a developer, a measuring step of measuring a conductivity of the developer used in removing the non-exposed portion of the imagewise exposed flexographic printing plate precursor, and a replenishing step of replenishing at least one liquid of a development replenishing liquid or water to the developer based on the conductivity measured in the measuring step such that the conductivity becomes a conductivity in a determined range.

Provided are a washout processor and a washing method in which a device configuration is small and processing such as development can be stably performed on a flexographic printing plate precursor. There is provided a washout processor that performs development using a washing solution while transporting an imagewise exposed flexographic printing plate precursor, the washout processor having a leader that fixes both of a leading end and a trailing end of the flexographic printing plate precursor and a tension applying unit that applies tension to the flexographic printing plate precursor.

A digital cliché pad printing system includes a conveyor for conveying a substantially non-elastic support medium, a material deposition jetting device for depositing a curable material onto the support in a desired pattern, the desired pattern having at least one void space, means for curing the material in the desired pattern, the cured material defining a cliché having a top surface, an ink delivery system for depositing ink in the at least one void space and for wiping ink from the top surface and a pad configured to contact the cliché to transfer ink from the void space to the pad the pad also configured to move into contact with an object to which the ink is transferred. A digital cliché media and method are also disclosed.

Digitally imagable flexographic printing elements for producing flexographic printing plates, which comprise an organically soluble relief-forming layer, a water-soluble barrier layer for oxygen, and a water-soluble laser-ablatable mask layer. A method for producing flexographic printing plates using such flexographic printing elements, which comprises a two-stage washout procedure using aqueous and organic washout media.

An analog method of making a patterned flexographic printing plate, the method comprising impressing a flexible patterned substrate into an uncured soft photopolymer plate to form the patterned flexographic printing plate.

An analog method of making a patterned flexographic printing plate, the method comprising impressing a flexible patterned substrate into an uncured soft photopolymer plate to form the patterned flexographic printing plate.

The present invention describes a method for manufacturing rotogravure cylinders with a cylinder base made of aluminum and a single metallic layer on the cylinder surface. The method comprises the construction of the cylinder base, the deposition of the metallic layer on the cylinder surface, the thinning of the cylinder to achieve the required dimensions, the polishing of the cylinder surface and finally the etching of the cylinder with the desired printing pattern. The metallic layer can be any copper alloy that will produce a surface with a Vickers hardness of about 400 HV. The metallic layer is deposited onto the cylinder base using any thermal spraying method. The cylinder surface is then thinned and polished by using any conventional method. Finally, the cylinder is etched to provide a superb cylinder for the printing industry.

The present invention describes a method for manufacturing rotogravure cylinders with a cylinder base made of aluminum and a single metallic layer on the cylinder surface. The method comprises the construction of the cylinder base, the deposition of the metallic layer on the cylinder surface, the thinning of the cylinder to achieve the required dimensions, the polishing of the cylinder surface and finally the etching of the cylinder with the desired printing pattern. The metallic layer can be any copper alloy that will produce a surface with a Vickers hardness of about 400 HV. The metallic layer is deposited onto the cylinder base using any thermal spraying method. The cylinder surface is then thinned and polished by using any conventional method. Finally, the cylinder is etched to provide a superb cylinder for the printing industry.

A method of creating a custom relief image printing element from at least one raw photocurable material and at least one lamination layer supplied by a manufacturer is described. The manufacturer provides a menu of raw photocurable materials and a menu of lamination layers and wherein the customer selects at least one raw photocurable material from the menu of raw photocurable materials and selects at least one lamination layer from the menu of lamination layers. The method includes the steps of: a) laminating the selected at least one raw photocurable material to the selected at least one lamination layer at a customer's location to create a photocurable printing blank; and thereafter b) imagewise exposing the at least one photocurable printing blank to actinic radiation at the customer's location to crosslink and cure portions of the at least one photocurable material and create a relief image therein. A lamination system is also described.