Provided is a gripping portion structure of a gravure plate-making robot in which the accurate gripping of an unprocessed plate-making roll and the positioning accuracy during transfer of the unprocessed plate-making roll to each processing device can be improved by causing a gravure plate-making robot to exhibit a high gripping force when gripping the unprocessed plate-making roll. The gripping portion structure of a gravure plate-making robot to be used in a fully automatic gravure plate-making processing system for manufacturing a gravure plate-making roll by gripping and transferring an unprocessed plate-making roll to each processing device includes: a pair of gripping plates to be mounted on an arm distal end of the gravure plate-making robot, the pair of gripping plates being freely spaced widely or narrowly from each other, and being configured to grip both end portions of the unprocessed plate-making roll; and a gripping surface forming member provided on each of the pair of gripping plates, the gripping surface forming member having a gripping surface that is curved so as to be recessed toward a center of the end portion of the unprocessed plate-making roll to be gripped and having a non-slip function.

Provided is a gripping portion structure of a gravure plate-making robot in which the accurate gripping of an unprocessed plate-making roll and the positioning accuracy during transfer of the unprocessed plate-making roll to each processing device can be improved by causing a gravure plate-making robot to exhibit a high gripping force when gripping the unprocessed plate-making roll. The gripping portion structure of a gravure plate-making robot to be used in a fully automatic gravure plate-making processing system for manufacturing a gravure plate-making roll by gripping and transferring an unprocessed plate-making roll to each processing device includes: a pair of gripping plates to be mounted on an arm distal end of the gravure plate-making robot, the pair of gripping plates being freely spaced widely or narrowly from each other, and being configured to grip both end portions of the unprocessed plate-making roll; and a gripping surface forming member provided on each of the pair of gripping plates, the gripping surface forming member having a gripping surface that is curved so as to be recessed toward a center of the end portion of the unprocessed plate-making roll to be gripped and having a non-slip function.

Provided is a gravure printing method by which high printing density and excellent highlight suitability are obtained, even if a gravure plate having high resolution and reduced thickness is used. The gravure printing method comprises: using an aqueous ink having a Zahn cup #3 viscosity at 20 C. of 11.0 seconds or more and 20.0 seconds or less, and having an evaporation rate of 30 mass % or less in a drying test, the drying test involving drying 1 g of the ink at a temperature of 40 C. and an air flow of 1,400 L/min for 30 minutes; and transferring 1 ml/m.sup.2 or more and 7 ml/m.sup.2 or less of the ink onto a printing medium.

Provided is a gravure printing method by which high printing density and excellent highlight suitability are obtained, even if a gravure plate having high resolution and reduced thickness is used. The gravure printing method comprises: using an aqueous ink having a Zahn cup #3 viscosity at 20 C. of 11.0 seconds or more and 20.0 seconds or less, and having an evaporation rate of 30 mass % or less in a drying test, the drying test involving drying 1 g of the ink at a temperature of 40 C. and an air flow of 1,400 L/min for 30 minutes; and transferring 1 ml/m.sup.2 or more and 7 ml/m.sup.2 or less of the ink onto a printing medium.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of processing a printing body, the printing body comprising a substrate and a diamond-like carbon (DLC) layer on the substrate, the method comprising engraving a printing pattern into the DLC layer. This method is advantageous, as it reduces the number of process steps required in processing the printing body, and reduces the loss of fine detail in the printing pattern.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of processing a printing body, the printing body comprising a substrate and a diamond-like carbon (DLC) layer on the substrate, the method comprising engraving a printing pattern into the DLC layer. This method is advantageous, as it reduces the number of process steps required in processing the printing body, and reduces the loss of fine detail in the printing pattern.

Provided is a gripping portion structure of a gravure plate-making robot in which the accurate gripping of an unprocessed plate-making roll and the positioning accuracy during transfer of the unprocessed plate-making roll to each processing device can be improved by causing a gravure plate-making robot to exhibit a high gripping force when gripping the unprocessed plate-making roll. The gripping portion structure of a gravure plate-making robot to be used in a fully automatic gravure plate-making processing system for manufacturing a gravure plate-making roll by gripping and transferring an unprocessed plate-making roll to each processing device includes: a pair of gripping plates to be mounted on an arm distal end of the gravure plate-making robot, the pair of gripping plates being freely spaced widely or narrowly from each other, and being configured to grip both end portions of the unprocessed plate-making roll; and a gripping surface forming member provided on each of the pair of gripping plates, the gripping surface forming member having a gripping surface that is curved so as to be recessed toward a center of the end portion of the unprocessed plate-making roll to be gripped and having a non-slip function.

Provided is a gripping portion structure of a gravure plate-making robot in which the accurate gripping of an unprocessed plate-making roll and the positioning accuracy during transfer of the unprocessed plate-making roll to each processing device can be improved by causing a gravure plate-making robot to exhibit a high gripping force when gripping the unprocessed plate-making roll. The gripping portion structure of a gravure plate-making robot to be used in a fully automatic gravure plate-making processing system for manufacturing a gravure plate-making roll by gripping and transferring an unprocessed plate-making roll to each processing device includes: a pair of gripping plates to be mounted on an arm distal end of the gravure plate-making robot, the pair of gripping plates being freely spaced widely or narrowly from each other, and being configured to grip both end portions of the unprocessed plate-making roll; and a gripping surface forming member provided on each of the pair of gripping plates, the gripping surface forming member having a gripping surface that is curved so as to be recessed toward a center of the end portion of the unprocessed plate-making roll to be gripped and having a non-slip function.

The present invention provides a coating material that can improve gravure printing characteristics of the printing surface of a printing substrate to favorably transfer an ink fed in the cell of a gravure printing roll to the printing surface of the printing substrate, thereby achieving the beautiful gravure printing. The coating material of the present invention is a coating material for forming a surface layer, serving as a printing surface, on a printing substrate on which gravure printing is to be performed, and the coating material is characterized by including a vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-unsaturated fatty acid copolymer that includes 80 to 90% by mass of a component of vinyl chloride, 9.2 to 19.5% by mass of a component of vinyl acetate, and 0.1 to 0.8% by mass of a component of an unsaturated fatty acid.

The present invention provides a coating material that can improve gravure printing characteristics of the printing surface of a printing substrate to favorably transfer an ink fed in the cell of a gravure printing roll to the printing surface of the printing substrate, thereby achieving the beautiful gravure printing. The coating material of the present invention is a coating material for forming a surface layer, serving as a printing surface, on a printing substrate on which gravure printing is to be performed, and the coating material is characterized by including a vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate-unsaturated fatty acid copolymer that includes 80 to 90% by mass of a component of vinyl chloride, 9.2 to 19.5% by mass of a component of vinyl acetate, and 0.1 to 0.8% by mass of a component of an unsaturated fatty acid.