Provided is an on-press development type lithographic printing plate precursor having two or more maximal absorption wavelengths in a wavelength range of 760 nm to 900 nm, in which in a case where the on-press development type lithographic printing plate precursor is subjected to exposure to infrared having a wavelength of 830 nm at an energy density of 110 mJ/cm.sup.2, in a portion subjected to the exposure, a brightness change ΔL before the exposure and after storage subsequent to the exposure for 24 hours under conditions of 25° C. and 70% RH is 3.0 or more. Also provided are a method of preparing a lithographic printing plate and a lithographic printing method in which the on-press development type lithographic printing plate precursor is used.

Provided are a lithographic printing plate precursor comprising: an image-recording layer on a support, in which the image-recording layer includes a dye compound having a decomposable group that is decomposed by an acid, heat, or both and a structure in which decomposition of the decomposable group opens a ring or desorbs a leaving group and an electron-donating polymerization initiator, a method for producing a lithographic printing plate in which the lithographic printing plate precursor is used, and a color-developing composition including a dye compound having a decomposable group that is decomposed by an acid, heat, or both and a structure in which decomposition of the decomposable group opens a ring or desorbs a leaving group and an electron-donating polymerization initiator.

Systems and processes for making a flexo plate, and plates made thereby. Non-printing indicia defined by areas of resence and absence of polymer in the plate floor are readable downstream of the washing or other non-cured-polymer-removal step but do not print in the printing step. The non-printing indicia may define a repeating pattern of alphanumeric characters, non-text graphics, or a combination thereof.

An apparatus comprises: (a) a rotatable drum configured to have a UV-curable printing plate with an ablatable layer thereon, placed thereon; (b) at least one laser beam to image the plate on the drum by ablating some of the ablatable layer according to image data to form an imaged plate; (c) an unloading area onto which a plate is movable when unloaded; and (d) a plurality of UV LEDs configured to apply UV radiation to the back of the UV-curable plate or to both the front and back of the UV-curable plate during or after the unloading of the imaged plate.

A polymerizable composition is provided, including an infrared absorber, a polymerization initiator, a polymerizable compound, and a polymer binder, wherein the polymer binder is a particulate random copolymer, and the polymer binder has structural units derived from a polymerizable polyalkylene oxide-based monomer and a polymerizable nitrogen-free non-polyalkylene oxide-based monomer. The polymerizable composition may be used in the production of imageable elements or printing plates.

A polymerizable composition is provided, including an infrared absorber, a polymerization initiator, a polymerizable compound, and a polymer binder, wherein the polymer binder is a particulate random copolymer, and the polymer binder has structural units derived from a polymerizable polyalkylene oxide-based monomer and a polymerizable nitrogen-free non-polyalkylene oxide-based monomer. The polymerizable composition may be used in the production of imageable elements or printing plates.

Described is a resinous structure derived from fluorine-containing polymers useful as a mold having excellent dimensional stability.

An apparatus and method of manufacturing a multiplayer image blanket with a platinum catalyzed fluorosilicone topcoat for a variable data lithography printing system. The blanket consists of multiple layers that may be: (A) a commercial carcass having a Sulphur free rubber outer layer, a suitable primer layer for improving the inter-layer adhesion, and the platinum catalyzed fluorosilicone topcoat; or (B) seamless polyimide substrate coated with a platinum cured silicone, a primer layer, and the fluorosilicone topcoat.

The blanket cylinder of a printing press is used to remove oleophobic debris from an imaged dry printing member. Following imaging—e.g., imagewise exposure of the printing member to radiation that ablates the layer below the oleophobic layer, or de-anchors it from the oleophobic layer without ablation—the printing member is brought into rolling contact with the blanket cylinder, and the press is operated “on impression.” This rolling contact may remove not only the oleophobic top layer but ablation debris of the underlying imaging layer as well.

There is provided a copolymer having the general structure below, wherein a, b, and d are molar ratios varying between about 0.01 and about 0.90 and c is a molar ratio varying between about 0.01 and about 0.90; A1 represents monomer units comprising a cyano-containing pendant group in which the cyano is not directly attached to the backbone of the copolymer; A2 represents monomer units comprising two or more hydrogen bonding sites; A3 represents monomer units that increase solubility in organic solvents; and A4 represents monomer units that increase solubility in aqueous alkaline solutions. There is also provided a near-infrared radiation-sensitive coating composition comprising this copolymer as well as a positive-working thermal lithographic printing plate comprising a near-infrared radiation-sensitive coating comprising this copolymer, a method of producing such a printing plate, and finally a method of printing using such a printing plate. Formula (I).