Based on evaporation of fountain solution from a rotating blanket cylinder to create an image that may be inked and printed, a digitally addressable heater array at or just below the blanket surface evaporates deposited fountain solution and forms a fountain solution latent image on the surface. The heater array has controllable heating elements (e.g., field effect transistors, thin film transistors) that provide a transient heat pattern on the surface to evaporate the fountain solution. Heat is generated by current flow in the heating elements, and power developed by the heating circuit is the product of source-drain voltage and current in the channel. Current may be supplied along data lines by an external voltage controlled by digital electronics to provide the desired heat at heating elements addressed by a specific gate line. The heater array may include a current return line that may be a 2-dimensional mesh.

Based on evaporation of fountain solution from a rotating blanket cylinder to create an image that may be inked and printed, a digitally addressable heater array at or just below the blanket surface evaporates deposited fountain solution and forms a fountain solution latent image on the surface. The heater array has controllable heating elements (e.g., field effect transistors, thin film transistors) that provide a transient heat pattern on the surface to evaporate the fountain solution. Heat is generated by current flow in the heating elements, and power developed by the heating circuit is the product of source-drain voltage and current in the channel. Current may be supplied along data lines by an external voltage controlled by digital electronics to provide the desired heat at heating elements addressed by a specific gate line. The heater array may include a current return line that may be a 2-dimensional mesh.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lithographic printing plate precursor from which a lithographic printing plate with excellent oil-based cleaner printing durability is obtained, a method of producing a lithographic printing plate, a printing method, and a method of producing an aluminum support. The lithographic printing plate precursor of the present invention is a lithographic printing plate precursor including an aluminum support, and an image recording layer disposed on the aluminum support, in which the aluminum support includes an aluminum plate and an anodized aluminum film disposed on the aluminum plate, the image recording layer is disposed on the aluminum support on a side of the anodized film, and an area ratio of projections with a height of 0.80 μm or greater from an average level, which is obtained by measuring a surface of the aluminum support on a side of the image recording layer in an area of 400 μm×400 μm using a non-contact three-dimensional roughness meter, is 20% or less.

The present invention provides a printing plate precursor including a layer which includes particles and is provided at a printing surface side of an aluminum support, in which a modulus of elasticity of the particles is 0.1 GPa or more, and in a case where a Bekk smoothness of an outermost layer surface at the printing surface side is denoted by A second, a specific expression (1) is satisfied; a printing plate precursor laminate; a method for making a printing plate; and a printing method.

The present invention provides a printing plate precursor including a layer which includes particles and is provided at a printing surface side of an aluminum support, in which a modulus of elasticity of the particles is 0.1 GPa or more, and in a case where a Bekk smoothness of an outermost layer surface at the printing surface side is denoted by A second, a specific expression (1) is satisfied; a printing plate precursor laminate; a method for making a printing plate; and a printing method.

Fountain solution latent images are provided on an inking blanket without using laser-induced evaporation systems. Approaches include a rotatable charge retentive surface configured to receive an unfused toned electrostatic pattern of toner particles adhered thereto via electrophotography. The toner includes small diameter polymeric or inorganic particles that may have no color pigment to appear transparent or translucent. Fountain solution is disposed on at least one of the toner, the charge retentive surface and a transfer substrate. The transfer substrate is adjacent the charge retentive surface and forms a nip therebetween, with the transfer substrate sandwiching the unfused toned electrostatic pattern of toner particles and fountain solution against the charge retentive surface at the nip. Fountain solution sandwiched between the surfaces splits as the surfaces separate downstream the nip, leaving a fountain solution latent image remaining on the transfer member surface based on the electrostatic charged pattern on the charge retentive surface.

Fountain solution latent images are provided on an inking blanket without using laser-induced evaporation systems. Approaches include a rotatable charge retentive surface configured to receive an unfused toned electrostatic pattern of toner particles adhered thereto via electrophotography. The toner includes small diameter polymeric or inorganic particles that may have no color pigment to appear transparent or translucent. Fountain solution is disposed on at least one of the toner, the charge retentive surface and a transfer substrate. The transfer substrate is adjacent the charge retentive surface and forms a nip therebetween, with the transfer substrate sandwiching the unfused toned electrostatic pattern of toner particles and fountain solution against the charge retentive surface at the nip. Fountain solution sandwiched between the surfaces splits as the surfaces separate downstream the nip, leaving a fountain solution latent image remaining on the transfer member surface based on the electrostatic charged pattern on the charge retentive surface.

Lithographic printing plate precursors have an aluminum-containing substrate prepared using two anodizing processes to provide an inner aluminum oxide layer of average dry thickness of 300-3,000 nm and a multiplicity of inner micropores of average inner micropore diameter of ≤100 nm. An outer aluminum oxide layer is provided with a multiplicity of outer micropores of average outer micropore diameter of 15-30 nm and a dry thickness of 30-650 nm. A hydrophilic layer is disposed on the outer aluminum oxide layer at 0.0002-0.1 g/m.sup.2 and has a (1) compound having an ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable groups; a —OM group connected directly to a phosphorus atom, wherein M represents hydrogen, sodium, potassium, or aluminum; and (2) one or more hydrophilic polymers having (a) recurring units comprising an amide group, and (b) recurring units having an —OM′ group that is directly connected to a phosphorus atom, wherein M′ represents hydrogen, sodium, potassium, or aluminum.

A heating circuit having an array of switching heating elements (e.g., field effect transistors, thin film transistors) provides a transient heat pattern over a surface (e.g., substrate, imaging member surface, transfer roll surface) moving relative to the heating circuit, to produce a pixelated heat image and heat a target pattern on the surface. Heat is generated by current flow in the heating elements, and the power developed by the heating circuit is the product of source-drain voltage and current in the channel. Digital addressing may accomplished by matrix addressing the array. Current may be supplied along data address lines by an external voltage controlled by digital electronics understood by a skilled artisan to provide the desired heat at a respective heating element pixels addressed by a specific gate line. The circuit may include a current return line that may be low resistance, for example, by using a 2-dimensional mesh.

A heating circuit having an array of switching heating elements (e.g., field effect transistors, thin film transistors) provides a transient heat pattern over a surface (e.g., substrate, imaging member surface, transfer roll surface) moving relative to the heating circuit, to produce a pixelated heat image and heat a target pattern on the surface. Heat is generated by current flow in the heating elements, and the power developed by the heating circuit is the product of source-drain voltage and current in the channel. Digital addressing may accomplished by matrix addressing the array. Current may be supplied along data address lines by an external voltage controlled by digital electronics understood by a skilled artisan to provide the desired heat at a respective heating element pixels addressed by a specific gate line. The circuit may include a current return line that may be low resistance, for example, by using a 2-dimensional mesh.