Ink-based digital printing systems useful for ink printing include a photoreceptor layer configured to receive a layer of liquid immersion fluid. The liquid immersion fluid includes dampening fluid, dispersed gas particles, and charge directors that impart charge to the solid particles. The photoreceptor surface is charged to a uniform potential, and selectively discharged using an ROS according to image data to form an electrostatic latent image. The charged liquid immersion fluid adheres to portions of the photoreceptor surface according to the electrostatic latent image to form a fountain solution image. The fluid portion of the fountain solution image can be partially transferred to an imaging member and/or transfer member to form a dampening fluid image, either or both of which may be electrically biased. The dampening fluid image is inked on the transfer member, and the resulting ink image transferred to a print substrate.

A print head for use in a flexographic process, the print head comprising a flat surface having a first portion with a first surface energy and a second portion with a second surface energy that is different from the first surface energy.

An apparatus and method of manufacturing a fluorosilicone composite for a variable data lithography imaging member surface layer. Examples of the fluorosilicone composite include a first part and a second part, the first part having fluorosilicone, carbon black, silica and butyl acetate, the second part having a platinum catalyst, a crosslinker, butyl acetate and an inhibitor. The first part may also include a dispersant (e.g., a polyoxyalkylene amine derivative) that removes a need for shaking the dispersion by paint shaker and instead allows a more manufacture friendly roll ball milling process. The dispersant will also help in stabilizing the fluorosilicone composite for scaled up production.

An apparatus and method of manufacturing a fluorosilicone composite for a variable data lithography imaging member surface layer. Examples of the fluorosilicone composite include a first part and a second part, the first part having fluorosilicone, carbon black, silica and butyl acetate, the second part having a platinum catalyst, a crosslinker, butyl acetate and an inhibitor. The first part may also include a dispersant (e.g., a polyoxyalkylene amine derivative) that removes a need for shaking the dispersion by paint shaker and instead allows a more manufacture friendly roll ball milling process. The dispersant will also help in stabilizing the fluorosilicone composite for scaled up production.

Provided are a lithographic printing plate precursor including: a hydrophilized aluminum support, and a water-soluble or water-dispersible negative type image recording layer provided on the aluminum support, in which an arithmetic average height Sa of a surface of an outermost layer on a side opposite to a side where the image recording layer is provided is in a range of 0.3 m to 20 m; a method of producing the lithographic printing plate precursor; a lithographic printing plate precursor laminate formed of the lithographic printing plate precursor; and a lithographic printing method.

An original plate for forming an ink film includes a surface layer including a stimulus-responsive compound which responds to an external stimulus to have reversibly changed affinity with water; and a resin.

This application relates to lithographic printing plates, methods of making said plates, and precursor plates for use in said methods.

A lithographic printing plate precursor includes, on a support, a layer of graphite oxide capable of switching from a hydrophilic state into a hydrophobic state upon exposure to heat and/or light.

A method of roughening a surface of a printing form precursor. The method comprises subjecting at least a part of the surface to energy in the form of pulses of electromagnetic radiation to produce a uniformly hydrophilic roughened surface on at least a part of the printing form precursor and optionally converting the uniformly hydrophilic roughened surface of the printing form precursor to a uniformly hydrophobic roughened surface. The method is useful for providing a surface for use in a subsequent imaging and/or printing process in lithographic printing. Methods of providing a printing form comprising an image formed of hydrophobic regions and hydrophilic regions using said method and a method of printing using said method are also described, as are printing forms so produced and imaging devices and apparatus for carrying out the said methods.

Provided is a printing plate precursor including: a support; a layer which contains a polymer on one side of the support; and a layer which contains a metal oxide obtained by hydrolyzing and polycondensing an organic metal compound or an inorganic metal compound and fine particles on the other side of the support, in which an average particle diameter of the fine particles is 0.3 m or greater and is greater than the thickness of the layer containing a metal oxide and fine particles, and in a case where the printing plate precursors are laminated, dislocation in stacking precursors, adhesion between precursors, and scratches can be all prevented even without using interleaving paper.