A halftone raster image suitable for rendering a continuous-tone image includes a plurality of spiral dots. The spiral dots include image pixels arranged as a first arc or as a plurality of arcs which together represent a first spiral, and non-image pixels arranged as a second arc or as a plurality of arcs which together represent a second spiral. The spiral dots enable a controlled spreading of the ink within the dot, resulting in a higher image quality, ink saving, and faster drying.

Systems and processes for making a flexo plate, and plates made thereby. Non-printing indicia defined by areas of presence and absence of polymer in the plate floor created using microdots imaged during a LAMS layer imaging step are readable downstream of the washing or other non-cured-polymer-removal step but not to print in the printing step. The non-printing indicia may define a repeating pattern of alphanumeric characters, non-text graphics, or a combination thereof. A difference in growth of plate structures corresponding to different types of microdots may be used for characterizing processing conditions.

A method of manufacturing a printing cylinder. The method comprises providing a moulding apparatus comprising a cylindrical moulding vessel defining a moulding cavity (101). The vessel comprises at least one inlet for the ingress of moulding material. The method comprises performing an injection moulding operation comprising: injecting moulding material through the at least one inlet to substantially fill the moulding cavity with moulding material; and effecting hardening of the moulding material within the vessel (102). The method comprises removing the printing cylinder (103). At least part of the injection moulding operation is performed in the presence of an active pressure being applied to the moulding cavity.

A method of manufacturing a printing cylinder. The method comprises providing a moulding apparatus comprising a cylindrical moulding vessel defining a moulding cavity (101). The vessel comprises at least one inlet for the ingress of moulding material. The method comprises performing an injection moulding operation comprising: injecting moulding material through the at least one inlet to substantially fill the moulding cavity with moulding material; and effecting hardening of the moulding material within the vessel (102). The method comprises removing the printing cylinder (103). At least part of the injection moulding operation is performed in the presence of an active pressure being applied to the moulding cavity.

A photosensitive flexographic printing form, and process for manufacturing the same. The printing form includes a base, a first series of relief patterns having a first elevation with respect to the base in an image area of the base, and a second series of relief patterns having one or more elevations lower than the first elevation and located outside of the image area.

A printing system (200) including a printing roll (220) is provided. The printing roll (220) includes an elastically deformable and compressible inner layer (224) and a thin outer shell (222) to cover the inner layer (224). The thin outer shell (222) includes a pattern of raised print features (223) to receive ink material thereon. The inner layer (224) is softer and thicker than the thin outer shell (222), and optionally, the thin outer shell (222) is removable from the inner layer (224). The inner layer (224) of the printing roll (220) has a thickness, a compression force deflection value and an elastically-deformable compressibility such that the raised print features (223) of the printing roll (220) do not slide or deform with respect to the printed web (2) in an amount to generate a substantially visible dot gain.

An apparatus for generating a relief carrier using a solidifiable material includes a support structure configured for providing a substantially cylindrical support surface. The support surface may be formed by a substrate intended to be part of the relief carrier to be generated or by a cylindrical support not intended to be part of the relief carrier to be generated. A container is provided for the solidifiable material, the container having a wall arranged substantially parallel to an axis of the support structure; a moving means to move the support structure relative to the wall such that subsequent areas of the support surface face the wall during the moving. Moving includes at least a rotation around the axis. An irradiating means sends irradiation, through the wall in a predetermined area between the support surface and the wall.

The invention relates to an article having a single-layered or multilayered main body having elastic properties, in particular an air spring bellows, a metal-rubber element or a vibration damper.

To improve the flame-retardant properties the main body of the article consists of or contains at least one layer D which is constructed from a rubber mixture which is free from halogen-containing flame retardants and contains at least one carbon black having a BET surface area according to DIN-ISO 9277 between 35 and 140 m.sup.2/g and an oil absorption number (OAN) according to ISO 4656 between 70 and 140 ml/100 g.

A flexographic printing plate includes at least one halftone printing area with a plurality of halftone dots. A halftone dot of said plurality of halftone dots is shaped as a relief area. Said relief area includes a central portion and a surrounding portion. Said central portion has a central dot floor with a first pattern of a plurality of pins protruding upwardly from the central dot floor. Said surrounding portion protrudes upwardly from the central dot floor and has a top side including a second pattern of a plurality of recesses. The first pattern and second pattern are such that the surrounding portion can be distinguished from the central portion.

A printing plate includes a plurality of relief areas which stand proud of a floor of the plate, each of the relief areas having an uppermost surface to which, in use, is applied a liquid which is borne by the uppermost surface and subsequently contactingly transferred to a substrate material. A predetermined pattern of depressions define a corresponding pattern of islands within the uppermost surface. The depressions within the uppermost surface include at least primary depressions of a first size and substantially geometric first cross-sectional shape, and secondary depressions, being of smaller cross-sectional area than the primary depressions and having a second cross-sectional shape which is distinctly more elongate than the first cross-sectional shape.