There is disclosed a selective wetting apparatus (2) comprising a roller (20) rotatable about a roller axis (24) and comprising a wettable roller surface (22); an applicator unit (10) having a lip (12) which extends parallel to the roller axis (24) and is radially spaced apart from the roller surface (22) by a gap (30), wherein the applicator unit (10) is to convey liquid agent (14) towards the roller (20) so that the liquid agent (14) forms a liquid bridge (32) over the gap (30) to wet a wettable axial portion of the roller surface (22); and a flow guide (50) to direct a gas flow (56) into a regulated axial portion of the gap (30) to locally prevent formation of a liquid bridge (32), and thereby prevent wetting of a corresponding axial portion of the roller surface (22).

An inking system for inking an intaglio printing cylinder of an intaglio printing press is designed to perform a selective transfer of ink to one or more intaglio printing mediums by way of a selective inking cylinder provided in at least one device. The selective inking cylinder carries a selective inking plate that receives ink supplied by an associated inking unit. The selective inking plate comprises a coating that is selectively structured to exhibit ink-repellent portions and perform selective transfer of ink at locations corresponding to engraved areas of the one or more intaglio printing mediums that are to be inked with the ink supplied by the associated inking unit. The selective transfer of ink is performed indirectly from the selective inking cylinder to the one or more intaglio printing mediums via an ink collecting cylinder and/or via a chablon cylinder carrying a chablon plate.

A system including a non-contact plate sensor and a processor configured to characterize a configuration of a plate based upon information received from the sensor, such as position on a press or plate quality. The processor is configured to initiate a responsive action based upon the characterized configuration. A related method includes setting pressure of a printing plate relative to an ink-receiving substrate and register of a printing plate relative to another printing plate on a press, without generating printed waste. The non-contact plate sensor measures a distance of the printing surface of the plate relative to the sensor in locations along the plate longitudinal axis to characterize a starting configuration of the plate. The plate longitudinal axis is adjusted to correspond with a desired position of the plate for exerting a desired pressure on the substrate, based upon a difference between the measured starting position and the desired position.

A system including a non-contact plate sensor and a processor configured to characterize a configuration of a plate based upon information received from the sensor, such as position on a press or plate quality. The processor is configured to initiate a responsive action based upon the characterized configuration. A related method includes setting pressure of a printing plate relative to an ink-receiving substrate and register of a printing plate relative to another printing plate on a press, without generating printed waste. The non-contact plate sensor measures a distance of the printing surface of the plate relative to the sensor in locations along the plate longitudinal axis to characterize a starting configuration of the plate. The plate longitudinal axis is adjusted to correspond with a desired position of the plate for exerting a desired pressure on the substrate, based upon a difference between the measured starting position and the desired position.

A device coats one or more panels, printed by a coating means, which applies particularly a varnish or a primer. The device utilizes a forme roller which can be brought into rolling contact with the print stock to be coated, in the region of a contact zone, in order to coat the print stock on a side of the print stock facing the forme roller, and also utilizes a feed device supplying the forme roller with coating medium, which interacts, in the region of at least one contact zone on the circumference of the forme roller, with the forme roller, in order to continuously apply the coating medium, which is to be applied to the print stock, to a shell surface of the forme roller to an application width. A removal device, having removal elements, is associated with the forme roller and by the use of which removal device, the coating medium previously applied continuously to the shell surface, over the application width via the feed device, can be removed from the shell surface, before a downstream delivery to the print stock, which removal is, in one or in a plurality of partial width sections, relative to the application width, synchronized to one of a machine and a print stock phase position for one of defined and definable phase lengths. A method for coating and a printing press having a coating device are also disclosed.

There are described various embodiments of an inking system for inking an intaglio printing cylinder (8) of an intaglio printing press (1.sup.I; 1.sup.II; 1.sup.III ; 1.sup.IV; 1.sup.V), which intaglio printing cylinder carries one or more intaglio printing mediums (8a, 8b, 8c) that are inked by means of a plurality of inking devices (95; 95*; 95**; 905; 905*). The inking system is designed to perform a selective transfer of ink to the one or more intaglio printing mediums by means of a selective inking cylinder (98; 98*; 98**) provided in at least one of the inking devices, preferably in each of the inking devices. More precisely, the selective inking cylinder carries a selective inking plate (90a) receiving ink supplied by an associated inking unit (96/96a/97; 96*/96a*/97*; 96**/96a**; 906/906a/910/915; 906*/906a*/910*/915*), which selective inking plate comprises a coating (900) that is selectively structured to exhibit ink-repellent portions (910) and perform selective transfer of ink at locations (920) corresponding to engraved areas of the one or more intaglio printing mediums that are to be inked with the ink supplied by the associated inking unit. The selective transfer of ink to the one or more intaglio printing mediums is performed indirectly from the selective inking cylinder to the one or more intaglio printing mediums via an ink collecting cylinder (9) and/or via a chablon cylinder (99*; 99**) carrying a chablon plate (99a) comprising relief portions (99A) corresponding to engraved areas of the one or more intaglio printing mediums that are to be inked with the ink supplied by the associated inking unit.

An apparatus for coating a donor surface that is movable relative to the apparatus with a layer of metallic particles or particles having a metal-like appearance and reflectivity, the particles adhering more strongly to the surface than to one another. The apparatus comprises an application device to apply to the donor surface a fluid stream within which the particles are suspended, a housing surrounds the application device forming an interior plenum for confining the fluid stream, the housing prevents egress of particles from a sealing gap defined between the rim of the housing and the surface to be coated, and a suction source connected to the housing to extract from the plenum excess fluid and particles. In operation, the suction source extracts substantially all particles that are not in direct contact with the donor surface, leaving substantially a single particle layer adhering to the donor surface upon exiting the apparatus.

An apparatus for coating a donor surface that is movable relative to the apparatus with a layer of metallic particles or particles having a metal-like appearance and reflectivity, the particles adhering more strongly to the surface than to one another. The apparatus comprises an application device to apply to the donor surface a fluid stream within which the particles are suspended, a housing surrounds the application device forming an interior plenum for confining the fluid stream, the housing prevents egress of particles from a sealing gap defined between the rim of the housing and the surface to be coated, and a suction source connected to the housing to extract from the plenum excess fluid and particles. In operation, the suction source extracts substantially all particles that are not in direct contact with the donor surface, leaving substantially a single particle layer adhering to the donor surface upon exiting the apparatus.

The invention relates to a sealing element for an ink chamber of a rotary printing press, wherein the sealing element has a sealing surface that rests against a roller body during operation of the rotary printing press. In order to reduce wear on the sealing element, the sealing surface has at least one flow outlet opening, at which an overpressure of a fluid may be built up during operation of the rotary printing press, in such a way that the fluid between the sealing surface and roller body forms a sealing flow film.

An intermediate roller positioned between a fountain solution vapor supply and an imaging member decouples fountain solution vapor deposition from the surface of the imaging member. The intermediate roller may be temperature controlled. A uniform layer of fountain solution condenses onto the surface of the temperature controlled intermediate roller regardless of the imaging blanket temperature. The fountain solution condensate layer deposited onto the intermediate roller splits and deposits a thin uniform layer of fountain solution liquid onto the imaging member surface. This liquid layer split may be independent of the temperature of the imaging member surface, resulting in a uniform layer of fountain solution on the imaging blanket for better imaging quality. Remotely locating the vaporizing chamber away from the imaging member prevents undesired heat transfer from a hot vaporizing chamber/baffle to the imaging member surface.