An object of the present invention is to provide a flexographic printing plate precursor in which occurrence of wrinkles in an infrared ablation layer is suppressed and reproducibility of microcells is improved in a case of being made into a flexographic printing plate, and a manufacturing method of a flexographic printing plate using the flexographic printing plate precursor. The flexographic printing plate precursor of the present invention is a flexographic printing plate precursor including, in the following order, a support, a photosensitive layer, an interlayer, and an infrared ablation layer, in which the interlayer contains a rubber component and a resin component, and the resin component contains at least one of an acrylic resin or a methacrylic resin.

The present invention relates to a printing plate including a first silicone layer and a second silicone layer which have different ink acceptabilities on a support. An object of the present invention is to provide a printing plate that dispenses with a development step and that has excellent image reproducibility, ink repellency, ink acceptability, and printing durability.

Embodiments described herein generally relate to an apparatus and methods for removing a glue residue from a photomask. The glue residue may be exposed when a pellicle is removed from the photomask. Before a new pellicle can be adhered to the photomask, the glue residue may be removed. To remove the glue residue, a laser beam may be projected through a lens and focused on a surface of the glue residue. The glue residue may be ablated from the photomask by the laser beam.

An aqueous ink composition including water; an optional co-solvent; an optional colorant; a sulfonated polyester; and an isoprene rubber. A process of digital offset printing, the process including applying an ink composition onto a re-imageable imaging member surface at an ink take up temperature, the re-imageable imaging member having dampening fluid disposed thereon; forming an ink image; transferring the ink image from the re-imageable surface of the imaging member to a printable substrate at an ink transfer temperature; wherein the ink composition comprises: water; an optional co-solvent; an optional colorant; a sulfonated polyester; and an isoprene rubber. A process including combining a sulfonated polyester resin, water, an optional co-solvent, an optional colorant, a sulfonated polyester, and an isoprene rubber to form an aqueous ink composition.

An aqueous ink composition including water; an optional co-solvent; a sulfonated polyester, wherein the sulfonated polyester has a degree of sulfonation of at least about 3.5 mol percent; and an isoprene rubber. A process of digital offset printing including applying an ink composition onto a re-imageable imaging member surface at an ink take up temperature, the re-imageable imaging member having dampening fluid disposed thereon; forming an ink image; transferring the ink image from the re-imageable surface of the imaging member to a printable substrate at an ink transfer temperature; wherein the ink composition comprises water; an optional co-solvent; a sulfonated polyester having a degree of sulfonation of at least about 3.5 mol percent; and an isoprene rubber. A process including combining a sulfonated polyester resin, having a degree of sulfonation of at least about 3.5 mol percent, water, an optional co-solvent, and an isoprene rubber to form an aqueous ink composition, wherein the ink composition is substantially colorless.

The present invention provides a lithographic printing plate precursor including at least a heat-sensitive layer and an ink repellent layer disposed on a substrate, the rate of gas generation therefrom being 6.510.sup.5 g/m.sup.3 to 12.510.sup.5 g/m.sup.3 as determined by GC-MS analysis in which the lithographic printing plate precursor is heated in a nitrogen stream at 450 C. for 5 minutes, and also provides a method for producing a lithographic printing plate and a method for producing printed matter therefrom.

A system for preparing a photopolymer printing plate includes an imager, a plate unloader configured to automatically unload the plate from the imager and deliver the plate to an exposure unit comprising a plurality of UV LEDs, and a controller configured to operate the imager, the plate unloader, and the exposure unit. The imager has a rotatable drum configured to rotate while laser beams ablate portions of an ablatable layer of the printing plate in accordance with imaging data. The UV LEDs include a back array and a front array configured to expose the front of the UV-curable plate, at least one of which is configured to emit UV radiation toward the plate during relative motion between the plate and the array.

Provided is a precursor for lithographic printing having excellent printing durability and ink repellency as well as high reproducibility of the high definition images. The precursor for lithographic printing includes, at least a heat sensitive layer and an ink repellent layer wherein the ink repellent layer has an elastic modulus of the plate surface under the surface load of 14000 N/m2 of at least 25 MPa and up to 35 MPa.

Embodiments described herein generally relate to an apparatus and methods for removing a glue residue from a photomask. The glue residue may be exposed when a pellicle is removed from the photomask. Before a new pellicle can be adhered to the photomask, the glue residue may be removed. To remove the glue residue, a laser beam may be projected through a lens and focused on a surface of the glue residue. The glue residue may be ablated from the photomask by the laser beam.

An imaging blanket comprises a base comprising an elastic polymer and sulfur. A barrier layer is on the base and a surface layer is on the barrier layer. The surface layer comprises an elastomer and a platinum catalyst.