Described herein are an apparatus and a method for direct engraving an elastomeric printing plate by multiple laser beams simultaneously. In one embodiment, an elastomeric printing plate or sleeve is positioned on an imaging drum for direct engraving. The imaging drum is rotatable around its longitudinal axis. Such rotation defines a circumferential direction, also called the transverse direction. The axis of rotation defines an axial direction, also called the longitudinal direction. The printing plate has an body and a surface made of an elastomer (made of polymer or rubber). A drive mechanism provides relative motion between a plurality of laser beams and the plate in both the transverse and longitudinal directions.

The invention relates to a printing sleeve (1) comprising a first, radially inner layer (11) that has an inner side (11a) for making direct contact with the outer side of a printing cylinder (10), and an outer side (11b) which lies radially opposite said inner side (11a); as well as a second, radially outer layer (12) that has an outer side (12b) for forming a printing surface, and an inner side (12a) which lies radially opposite said outer side (12b). Said printing sleeve (1) is characterised in that the outer side (11b) of the first, radially inner layer (11) and the inner side (12a) of the second, radially outer layer (12) lie directly one against the other, and in that said first, radially inner layer (11) is designed to be able to absorb both forces occurring in the circumferential direction (U) and/or longitudinal direction (L), and pressures that arise in the radial direction (R).

The invention relates to a base body (10) for receiving a print image structure (20), in particular for flexographic printing, comprising a sleeve (10.1), an elastic layer (10.2) applied onto the sleeve (10.1) for holding an outer carrier layer (10.3), and the outer carrier layer (103), the carrier layer (10.3) being designed in such a mariner that the print image structure (20) can be applied.

A printing sleeve includes a first and radially inward layer having an inner side for directly contacting the outer side of a printing cylinder, and an outer side which is radially opposite the inner side. The first and radially inward layer has a glass fiber reinforced compressible compound such that the glass fibers may absorb the forces that arise in the circumferential direction and/or in the longitudinal direction, and the compressible compound elements may absorb the pressures that arise in the radial direction. In this way, the materials which to date act separately in the base sleeve and the compressible layer are combined in one common layer in which said materials each may perform their function.

Described herein are an apparatus and a method for direct engraving an elastomeric printing plate or sleeve by multiple laser beams simultaneously. In one embodiment, an elastomeric printing plate or sleeve is positioned on an imaging drum for direct engraving. The imaging drum is rotatable around its longitudinal axis. Such rotation defines a circumferential direction, also called the transverse direction. The axis of rotation defines an axial direction, also called the longitudinal direction. The printing plate or sleeve has an body and a surface made of an elastomer (made of polymer or rubber). A drive mechanism provides relative motion between a plurality of laser beams and the plate or sleeve in both the transverse and longitudinal directions.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a sleeve printing plate capable of forming an image pattern which applies printing on an object to be printed by laser engraving without generating cracks and chippings in a printing plate made of a photosensitive resin. The method for manufacturing a sleeve printing plate by making a printing plate made of a photosensitive resin surround an outer peripheral surface of a circular cylindrical sleeve body and forming an image pattern on the printing plate by laser engraving includes the steps of: washing and cooling the printing plate with water; applying heating treatment to the printing plate at a predetermined temperature; and applying heat radiation treatment to the printing plate after the heating treatment.

Provided are a seamless cylindrical offset printing plate which enables seamless continuous printing to be performed, a manufacturing method therefor, and a reproduction processing method. The seamless cylindrical offset printing plate comprises: a cylindrical plate base material; a hydrophilic satin-like rough surface which is formed on a surface of the cylindrical plate base material; and a hydrophobic resist pattern part which is formed on the satin-like rough surface, wherein an exposed part of the satin-like rough surface serves as a non-printing area and the resist pattern part serves as a printing area.

A lithographic printing sleeve for mounting on a cylinder in a printing press is provided. The lithographic printing sleeve includes a tubular base layer for contacting and surrounding an outer circumference of the cylinder, a permanent tubular hydrophilic layer on an outer surface of the tubular base layer and a temporary hydrophobic layer on an outer surface of the tubular hydrophilic layer. A variable cutoff printing press is also provided.

A method of forming printing sleeve for mounting on a cylinder in a printing press is provided. The method includes providing a permanent hydrophilic tubular layer on a tubular base; selectively providing a first temporary hydrophobic layer on the hydrophilic tubular layer to form a first imaged printing sleeve, the temporary hydrophobic layer forming a first image; printing, by the first imaged printing sleeve, a first print job including the first image on a substrate; and removing the first temporary hydrophobic layer from the permanent hydrophilic layer such that the permanent hydrophilic layer remains intact on the tubular base. A lithographic printing sleeve for a printing press is also provided.

A pressure-sensitive adhesive comprising at least one adhesive component comprising at least one polymer component based on a monomer mixture comprising at least one of the following monomers: at least one acrylic ester at least one methacrylic ester acrylic acid methacrylic acid
is particularly suitable for the bonding of printing plates, particularly to printing cylinders and/or printing sleeves, if the pressure-sensitive adhesive further comprises 1 to 25 wt %, preferably 2 to 20 wt %, based in each case on the overall blend of the at least one adhesive component without solvent, of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of stearyl alcohol, aliphatic and aromatic dicarboxylic esters, acetylated polyols and ethoxylated fatty acid amines.