An apparatus for aligning an edge, such as a leading edge of a plate, in particular a printing plate or a printing plate precursor. The apparatus includes a support configured for supporting the plate on a support surface, and to be located upstream of a treatment station. At least two movable elements are arranged to be moved by an edge, such as a leading edge, of the plate. The at least two movable elements include a first and a second movable element; a detection means configured to detect a first and second measure representative for a first and second position of the first and second movable element, respectively, at least one controllable component configured to perform an action on the plate, and a control means configured to control the at least one controllable component based on the first and second measure.

Systems and methods for allowing existing rotary printing press units to produce smaller pages at a faster rate of speed without having to replace the press unit. Specifically, the systems and methods relate to retrofitting an existing press unit to produce three pages of material in each full rotation instead of the traditional two pages.

Systems and methods for allowing existing rotary printing press units to produce smaller pages at a faster rate of speed without having to replace the press unit. Specifically, the systems and methods relate to retrofitting an existing press unit to produce three pages of material in each full rotation instead of the traditional two pages.

A machine for flat mounting of flexographic printing plates, comprising a base, a table, supported by said base, defining a support surface for mounting a printing plate on a respective support. The table comprises a front side, a rear side and two opposing sides. The machine also comprises parallel lateral guides, provided along the sides of the table, a carriage slidingly engaged in the lateral guides, a pressure roller associated with the carriage, to determine the adhesion of the printing plate on the respective support, and a vacuum generation system, to constrain the support to the surface of the table, during mounting of the printing plate. The machine comprises at least one layer of fabric, or breathable material, positioned on the surface of the table, on the upper surface of which the support is intended to be positioned, for the subsequent mounting, on it, of the printing plate.

A system for moving a flexible plate, in particular a printing plate or a printing plate precursor, over a support surface in the direction of a treatment station, such as a washer station. The system includes a support configured for supporting the plate on a support surface thereof, and intended to be located upstream of the treatment station. A movement means includes a plate engagement means configured to contact the plate in such a way that the plate is engaged by adhesion or by friction or a combination thereof, in a movement mode, and that the plate can be slid over the support surface by controlling the movement means in the movement mode. A control means is configured to control the movement means such that the plate is slid over the support in the direction of the treatment station.

Primer layers for adhesion of a pressure sensitive adhesive material to a substrate are provided. The primer layer comprises a crosslinked polymer. In some embodiments, the primer layer has an atomic nitrogen content of greater than 6 wt %, and in some a ratio of atomic weight percent of oxygen to nitrogen of less than 3.0. In some embodiments the crosslinked polymer is the reaction product of an amine-functional base polymer such as a polyethylenimine (PEI) and a crosslinker, which may be a polyaziridine crosslinker. Also provided are two-layer constructions comprising the primer layer and a substrate layer; and tapes, such as flexographic plate mounting tapes, comprising the two-layer construction and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer.