The present invention provides a flexographic printing plate precursor which makes it possible to precisely reproduce the pattern of a microcell on the surface of a printing plate without requiring the use of any specialized device or any additional step, and thus to improve the ink laydown on a solid-printed part. A flexographic printing plate precursor comprising at least a support (A), a photosensitive resin layer (B), an oxygen barrier layer (C) and a heat-sensitive mask layer (D) which are laminated in this order, wherein a photosensitive resin composition constituting the photosensitive resin layer (B) comprises (a) a polymer prepared by polymerizing a conjugated diene, (b) an ethylenically unsaturated compound and (c) a photopolymerization initiator, and wherein the content of the photopolymerization initiator (c) in the photosensitive resin composition is 2 to 9% by mass.

The present invention provides a flexographic printing plate in which the problem of ink entanglement, i.e., the direct connection of ink on a dot convex part to ink on an adjacent dot convex part, is reduced. A flexographic printing plate obtained from a flexographic printing plate precursor comprising at least a support (A), a photosensitive resin layer (B) and a heat-sensitive mask layer (C) which are laminated in this order, wherein, on a surface of the printing plate, there are provided dot convex parts, a dot valley part formed between the dot convex parts, and a floor part, and wherein a side surface of the dot valley part and the floor part have been subjected to the same finishing exposure treatment and the same exposure treatment using a germicidal lamp, characterized in that the adhesion force of the floor part on the printing plate is 2.0 N/mm.sup.2 or less.

The present invention provides a flexographic printing plate in which the problem of ink entanglement, i.e., the direct connection of ink on a dot convex part to ink on an adjacent dot convex part, is reduced. A flexographic printing plate obtained from a flexographic printing plate precursor comprising at least a support (A), a photosensitive resin layer (B) and a heat-sensitive mask layer (C) which are laminated in this order, wherein, on a surface of the printing plate, there are provided dot convex parts, a dot valley part formed between the dot convex parts, and a floor part, and wherein a side surface of the dot valley part and the floor part have been subjected to the same finishing exposure treatment and the same exposure treatment using a germicidal lamp, characterized in that the adhesion force of the floor part on the printing plate is 2.0 N/mm.sup.2 or less.

Described herein are printing ink compositions suitable for printing of microwavable flexible packaging. The printed black ink exhibits low microwave energy absorption, thus minimizing the risk of charring, arcing, ignition, distortion or burning during microwave heating processes. Nitrocellulose resin, a solvent, a polyurethane resin, and a carbon black pigment having at least one of an imaginary permittivity of ≤3, preferably ≤2, and a surface oxygen content of 1 wt % to 3 wt %, preferably 1.5 wt % to 2.5 wt % are among the components of the printing ink compositions. Also described is packaging suitable for exposure to microwave energy upon which the inks have been printed.

Described herein are printing ink compositions suitable for printing of microwavable flexible packaging. The printed black ink exhibits low microwave energy absorption, thus minimizing the risk of charring, arcing, ignition, distortion or burning during microwave heating processes. Nitrocellulose resin, a solvent, a polyurethane resin, and a carbon black pigment having at least one of an imaginary permittivity of ≤3, preferably ≤2, and a surface oxygen content of 1 wt % to 3 wt %, preferably 1.5 wt % to 2.5 wt % are among the components of the printing ink compositions. Also described is packaging suitable for exposure to microwave energy upon which the inks have been printed.

A method of improved screening to increase stability in flexographic printing is provided. The method is performed by a flexographic printing system. The flexographic printing system includes a computer system and a flexographic printing device. The method includes analyzing the first proposed graphical input of the printing job to identify at least one highlight area containing a plurality of halftone graphical elements in the first proposed graphical input, determining an amount of white space between the plurality of the halftone graphical elements in the first proposed graphical input, assigning at least one graphical element to be placed in a spatial relationship with each of the plurality of the halftone graphical elements, generating a second proposed graphical input by placing the at least one graphical elements on the first proposed graphical input based on the respective assignment, and instructing the flexographic printing device to print the second proposed graphical input.

A method for writing an imageable material using multiple beams includes preparing subsequent patterns each having Y rows of N pixel locations, said subsequent patterns including first and second patterns; where the first and the second pattern overlap with each other in an overlap area consisting of O columns and Y rows of pixel locations; selecting for each row i of said first pattern Mi1 pixel locations; selecting for each row i of said second pattern Mi2 pixel locations; writing simultaneously, for each row i, said Mi1 selected pixel locations by moving the N beams in a fast scan direction relative to said imageable material; and moving said N beams relative to said imageable material in a slow scan direction over (N-O) pixel locations; writing simultaneously, for each row i, said Mi2 selected pixel locations by moving the N beams in a fast scan direction relative to said imageable material.

A method for writing an imageable material using multiple beams includes preparing subsequent patterns each having Y rows of N pixel locations, said subsequent patterns including first and second patterns; where the first and the second pattern overlap with each other in an overlap area consisting of O columns and Y rows of pixel locations; selecting for each row i of said first pattern Mi1 pixel locations; selecting for each row i of said second pattern Mi2 pixel locations; writing simultaneously, for each row i, said Mi1 selected pixel locations by moving the N beams in a fast scan direction relative to said imageable material; and moving said N beams relative to said imageable material in a slow scan direction over (N-O) pixel locations; writing simultaneously, for each row i, said Mi2 selected pixel locations by moving the N beams in a fast scan direction relative to said imageable material.

A halftone raster image, suitable for rendering a continuous-tone image, which comprises a plurality of regularly tiled spiral dots. Said spiral dots comprise (i) image pixels arranged as a first arc (200) or as a plurality of arcs which together represent a first spiral (100), and (ii) non-image pixels arranged as a second arc (201) or as a plurality of arcs which together represent a second spiral (101), wherein neighbour halftone dots from said plurality of regularly tiled halftone dots represent a double spiral or triple spiral.

In one method, a piece of nonwoven PET or PP fabric is formed into a tote bag using a bag forming device. Seams of the tote bag are ultrasonically welded using an ultrasonic bag welding device. The ultrasonic bag welding device includes at least one sonotrode. In another method, BOPP film is received and a full-color graphic is printed on the BOPP film for each tote bag using a printer. The printed BOPP film is received from the printer and nonwoven PP or PET fabric is received from a roll of nonwoven PP or PET fabric using a laminator. The printed BOPP film is laminated to the nonwoven PP or PET fabric. The printed BOPP film laminated to nonwoven PP or PET fabric is received from the laminator and a finished version of each tote bag is produced using an ultrasonic bag welding device.