A seamless mold manufacturing method of the invention is a seamless mold manufacturing method having the steps of forming a thermal reaction type resist layer on a sleeve-shaped mold, and exposing using a laser and developing the thermal reaction type resist layer and thereby forming a fine mold pattern, and is characterized in that the thermal reaction type resist layer is comprised of a thermal reaction type resist having a property of reacting in predetermined light intensity or more in a light intensity distribution in a spot diameter of the laser.

A printed electrical device is formed using a flexographic printing system. A flexographic printing plate having a pattern of raised features includes an active region having a plurality of parallel traces separated by a trace spacing of between 5-40 microns that are used to form active micro-traces that provide an electrical function, and an inactive region adjacent to the active region having one or more protective features that are used to form electrically-inactive features. The protective features are separated from an outermost trace of the plurality of traces by a gap distance of between 60% and 250% of the trace spacing. The flexographic printing plate is used to transfer ink from an anilox roller to a substrate to provide a printed pattern corresponding to the pattern of raised features on the flexographic printing plate.

The present invention relates to a method for producing decorative prints having identical quality on at least two carrier materials comprising the following steps: a) providing at least one print motif; b) converting the at least one print motif into at least one high resolution electronic data set having a resolution of up to 1200 dpi, preferably 1000 dpi, by means of at least one image processing software; c) reducing the resolution of the at least one high resolution electronic data set down to 100 dpi, preferably 60 to 80 dpi, by means of at least one image processing software; d) creating at least one first print dcor on at least one first carrier material by using at least one digital printer by means of the at least one resolution reduced electronic data set; e) creating at least one print cylinder for a gravure printing process by using at least one resolution reduced electronic data set, wherein the resolution reduced electronic data set can be identical to or different from the resolution reduced electronic data set used for the digital printing; and f) creating at least one second print dcor on at least one second carrier material by using the at least one print cylinder. The invention further relates to a device for performing said method.

A device 1 for imprinting cans 8 comprises a plurality of ink cartridges 2a-2f that supply ink to a plurality of printing plates 3a-3f; the printing plates 2a-2f communicate with transfer blankets 5a-5l fixed to drum 6, the transfer blankets 5a-5l move ink from the printing plates 2a-2f and apply it to cans 8; each transfer blanket 2a-2f includes a different art in low relief (FIG. 15) which produces an image on cans 8 in addition to the image produced by printing plates 2a-2f; the device 1 is preferably a rotary dry offset printer. A method of printing cans comprising forming a relief image in a transfer blanket with a laser is also disclosed.

A device 1 for imprinting cans 8 comprises a plurality of ink cartridges 2a-2f that supply ink to a plurality of printing plates 3a-3f; the printing plates 2a-2f communicate with transfer blankets 5a-5l fixed to drum 6, the transfer blankets 5a-5l move ink from the printing plates 2a-2f and apply it to cans 8; each transfer blanket 2a-2f includes a different art in low relief (FIG. 15) which produces an image on cans 8 in addition to the image produced by printing plates 2a-2f; the device 1 is preferably a rotary dry offset printer. A method of printing cans comprising forming a relief image in a transfer blanket with a laser is also disclosed.

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 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 method for fabricating a flexographic printing plate for printing image patterns including one or more uniform image regions includes defining a repeating tile having a pattern of feature shapes positioned at pseudo-random feature locations. A plate formation pattern corresponding to the image pattern is determined wherein the repeating tile is applied in a tiled arrangement to the uniform image regions. The plate formation pattern is used to form a flexographic printing plate, wherein regions of the flexographic printing plate corresponding to the uniform image regions of the image pattern include a pattern of raised features in positions corresponding to the feature positions in the repeating tile.

A method for fabricating a flexographic printing plate for printing image patterns including one or more uniform image regions includes defining a repeating tile having a pattern of feature shapes positioned at pseudo-random feature locations. A plate formation pattern corresponding to the image pattern is determined wherein the repeating tile is applied in a tiled arrangement to the uniform image regions. The plate formation pattern is used to form a flexographic printing plate, wherein regions of the flexographic printing plate corresponding to the uniform image regions of the image pattern include a pattern of raised features in positions corresponding to the feature positions in the repeating tile.

A process for decorating a dial includes a step (E1) of engraving a pattern in a pad-printing clich with a femtosecond laser, then a step (E20) of transferring said pattern to the dial using the pad-printing clich. The process can include surface structuring of the dial, then transferring the pattern to the dial at least partially superposed on surface-structuring obtained by the surface structuring, and can also include an intermediate coloring of the decorated or to be decorated surface in the surface structuring, using a different color from the color used in the transferring.