A method for producing flexographic printing plates, using a photopolymerizable flexographic printing element having, arranged one atop another, a dimensionally stable support, a photopolymerizable, relief-forming layer, an elastomeric binder, an ethylenically unsaturated compound, and a photoinitiator, and optionally a rough, UV-transparent layer, a particulate substance, and digitally imagable layer. The method includes: (a) producing a mask by imaging the digitally imagable layer, (b) exposing the photopolymerizable, relief-forming layer through the mask with actinic light, and photopolymerizing the image regions of the layer, and (c) developing the photpolymerized layer by washing out the unphotopolymerized regions of the relief-forming layer with an organic solvent, or by thermal development. Step (b) includes (1) exposure with actinic light with an intensity of 100 mW/cm2 from a plurality of UV-LEDs and (2) exposure with actinic light with an intensity of <100 mW/cm2 from a UV radiation source other than UV-LEDs.

A photocurable relief image printing blank comprising: (a) a support layer; (b) one or more photocurable layers disposed on the support layer, wherein the one or more photocurable layers comprise: i) a binder; ii) one or more monomers; iii) a photoinitiator; iv) an additive selected from the group consisting of phosphites, phosphines, thioether amine compounds, and combinations of one or more of the foregoing; and v) an additional component comprising amine moieties; (c) a laser ablatable masking layer disposed on the one or more photocurable layers, the laser ablatable masking layer comprising a radiation opaque material; and (d) optionally, a removable coversheet. Upon exposure and development, the resulting relief image printing element does not degrade if left under ambient UV lights for an extended period of time.

In some embodiments, a method may include selectively applying a mask to a first surface of a substrate. The mask may include one or more components defining a selected pattern and having a non-uniform density. The method may further include etching the first surface of the substrate based on the mask and selectively processing the first surface of the substrate to produce a multi-dimensional artwork.

A method of manufacturing metallic articles from a metal substrate includes the steps of: a) jetting an image with a UV curable inkjet ink on at least one surface of the metallic substrate; b) UV curing the image; c) electroplating or acidic etching the at least one metallic surface not covered by the UV cured image; and d) stripping or solubilizing the UV cured image by an aqueous alkaline solution; wherein the UV curable inkjet ink has a viscosity of no more than 100 mPa.Math.s at 25 C. and at a shear rate of 1,000 s.sup.1; and wherein the UV curable inkjet ink contains a specific polymerizable composition and up to 20 wt % of photoinitiator including at least one of an acyl phosphine oxide photoinitiator and a thioxanthone photoinitiator.

A method of manufacturing metallic articles from a metal substrate includes the steps of: a) jetting an image with a UV curable inkjet ink on at least one surface of the metallic substrate; b) UV curing the image; c) electroplating or acidic etching the at least one metallic surface not covered by the UV cured image; and d) stripping or solubilising the UV cured image by an aqueous alkaline solution; wherein the UV curable inkjet ink has a viscosity of no more than 100 mPa.Math.s at 25 C. and at a shear rate of 1,000 s.sup.1; and wherein the UV curable inkjet ink contains a specific polymerizable composition and up to 20 wt % of photoinitiator including at least one of an acyl phosphine oxide photoinitiator and a thioxanthone photoinitiator.

A UV curable inkjet ink includes a polymerizable composition, wherein at least 80 wt % of the polymerizable composition consists of: a) 15.0 to 70.0 wt % of an acryl amide; b) 20.0 to 75.0 wt % of a polyfunctional acrylate; and c) 1.0 to 15.0 wt % of a monofunctional (meth)acrylate containing a carboxylic acid group, a phosphoric acid group, or a phosphonic acid group; with all weight percentages (wt %) based on the total weight of the polymerizable composition.

The present invention addresses the problem of forming, using a sublimation ink, an image that is free of outline blurring on a transfer medium even when the thickness of an ink fixation layer is increased. In order to solve this problem, a transfer film 10 is provided with a base material film 11, a transfer binder layer 12, a sublimation ink layer 13, and a mask layer 14 which is provided in a region where sublimation ink is not transferred to media 100, the transfer binder layer 12 being configured from a material which is permeated by sublimation of the sublimation ink.

A system or machine is disclosed which takes pre-stretched emulsion coated screens, digitally prints thereon and exposes them before further processing and use in a screen printing machine.

A system or machine is disclosed which takes pre-stretched emulsion coated screens, digitally prints thereon and exposes them before further processing and use in a screen printing machine.

A method and a device for manufacturing a base layer (3) having different degrees of hardness is disclosed. Further a workpiece with a base layer (3) manufactured by such method is disclosed.