Flexographic printing members are prepared from a flexographic printing plate precursor consisting essentially of: backing film, water- or water-dispersible photosensitive layer, and cover sheet in contact with the photosensitive layer. The cover sheet is removed and a mask element is laminated directly in contact with the photosensitive layer. Exposure through the mask element provides exposed regions and non-exposed regions. The non-exposed regions are removed with an aqueous developer having: a) a C.sub.12-20 saturated or unsaturated fatty acid (or alkali metal salt) at 0.25-2.0 weight %, and at least 85 weight % of a C.sub.18 mono- or poly-unsaturated fatty acid (or alkali metal salt); b) an aminopolycarboxylic acid (or alkali metal salt) at 0.05-0.30 weight %; c) a buffer at 05-0.60 weight %; and d) water. The photosensitive layer has a controlled release of 5-500 g/cm using ASTM D-3330 Method D, between its front imaging surface and the mask element.

Provided are a printing plate and a printing method that allow for high-resolution printing and efficient use of printing ink. The printing plate has an image area and a non-image area. The image area of the printing plate is a recessed area formed by a layer containing silicone rubber. The non-image area is a raised area formed by a layer containing a fluorine compound on a surface of the layer containing silicone rubber. The height difference between a surface of the image area and a surface of the non-image area of the printing plate is from more than 0.1 m to 10 m. The printing method includes an ink-applying step of applying a printing ink to an image area of a printing plate and a transfer step of transferring the printing ink from the image area to a substrate. A method for manufacturing a printing plate has the steps of forming a second layer containing silicone rubber in a region that becomes a non-image area on a first layer containing silicone rubber to obtain a layer containing silicone rubber; and forming the layer containing the fluorine compound on a surface of the second layer containing silicone rubber.

Provided are a printing plate, a method for manufacturing a printing plate, and a printing method that allow for high-resolution printing and efficient use of printing ink. The printing plate has an image area and a non-image area. The image area is formed by a layer containing silicone rubber. The non-image area is formed by a layer containing a fluorine compound on a surface of the layer containing silicone rubber. The height difference between a surface of the image area and a surface of the non-image area is 100 nm or less. The method for manufacturing a printing plate has the steps of subjecting a region of a surface of a layer containing silicone rubber to chemical treatment or physical treatment to form hydroxyl groups, the region being a region that becomes a non-image area; and binding a fluorine compound to the region, having the hydroxyl groups formed thereon, of the surface of the layer containing silicone rubber to form a non-image area. The printing method has an ink-applying step of applying a printing ink to an image area and a transfer step of transferring the printing ink from the image area to a substrate.

A method for reconstructing a relief print master with a three-dimensional printer includes introducing cavities inside the relief print master in order to control its compressibility.

A digital inkjet flatbed printer having a separate laser processing machine includes a laser processing machine and a digital inkjet printer. The laser processing machine is provided with a laser output module and a laser processing platform. The digital inkjet printer includes an inkjet output module and an inkjet operating platform. The inkjet operating platform is capable of movably ascending from and descending onto the digital inkjet printer. Thus, when the inkjet operating platform is descended, the laser processing machine is movably connected to the inkjet operating platform, such that the laser output module of the laser processing machine and the inkjet output module of the digital inkjet printer are on the laser processing platform of the laser processing machine and sequentially used for laser processing and inkjet printing respectively.

A method of producing a flexographic printing plate using a continuous liquid interphase is provided herein. This method allows for significantly reduced production times and fewer preparation steps compared to standard non-continuous techniques and results in less waste than typical methods for preparing flexographic printing plates. The printing plate provided by using continuous liquid interphase production results in a printing plate with desirable elastomeric elongation, desirable hardness, plate thickness in the range of 0.030 inches to 0.250 inches, and comprises printing dots with desirable characteristics.

The invention relates to a process for the production of relief printing plates, where a carrier with a polymeric substrate layer is provided and a relief is formed layer-by-layer on a surface of the substrate layer, where the relief is formed by means of a) single or multiple application of a liquid comprising at least one reactive monomer to the surface of the substrate layer, b) diffusion of the reactive monomer into the polymeric substrate layer for a prescribed exposure time and c) hardening of the relief, where in step a) the liquid is applied in accordance with an image to the surface and where, after the prescribed exposure time of step b), any liquid that remains on the surface, having not diffused into the material, is removed from the surface, and in step c) the relief that is hardened comprises the polymer of the substrate layer and reactive monomer that has diffused into the material.

An embossing die is created by printing multiple ink layers (530, 540) in superposition thereby to build up a printed relief pattern (510) in accordance with received design data specifying a design to be embossed. The design data is modified after receipt to introduce into the printed relief pattern to be built, one or more channels (610) which extend depth-wise through multiple ink layers of the printed relief pattern (510) and serve to fully or partially segment the printed relief pattern.

A method for obtaining a raised pattern on a substrate and to the device used, wherein the method includes the following steps of moving a substrate having one face; supplying a film with a first face; projecting onto the first face a raised-pattern product using digital printing technology so as to generate a positive raised pattern on the first face; fixing the positive raised pattern on the film; applying an overlay product; obtaining a negative raised pattern on the overlay product by contact with the positive raised pattern; and fixing the negative raised pattern on the face of the substrate.

Flexographic printing members are prepared from a flexographic printing plate precursor consisting essentially of: backing film, water- or water-dispersible photosensitive layer, and cover sheet in contact with the photosensitive layer. The cover sheet is removed and a mask element is laminated directly in contact with the photosensitive layer. Exposure through the mask element provides exposed regions and non-exposed regions. The non-exposed regions are removed with an aqueous developer having: a) a C.sub.12-20 saturated or unsaturated fatty acid (or alkali metal salt) at 0.25-2.0 weight %, and at least 85 weight % of a C.sub.18 mono- or poly-unsaturated fatty acid (or alkali metal salt); b) an aminopolycarboxylic acid (or alkali metal salt) at 0.05-0.30 weight %; c) a buffer at 05-0.60 weight %; and d) water. The photosensitive layer has a controlled release of 5-500 g/cm using ASTM D-3330 Method D, between its front imaging surface and the mask element.