A printing apparatus applies ink to a surface of a printing plate in the shape of a predetermined pattern and then transfers the ink to a substrate. The printing apparatus includes: an image recording section that applies the ink to the surface of the printing plate; a plate surface observation unit that acquires information about the surface of the printing plate; a storage section that stores information about a reference shape serving as a reference of the surface of the printing plate; and a determination section that compares the information about the reference shape stored in the storage section with the information about the surface of the printing plate, which is obtained by the plate surface observation unit, and determines whether or not the surface of the printing plate to which the ink has been applied is present in a predetermined range of the reference shape.

A device (3000) for loading fluid into nozzle(s) of a nozzle-bearing body (3070) includes a first member (3010), having a first surface (3016), and a second member (3020) protruding from the first member (3010). The second member (3020) has second and third surfaces (3028, 3026), the second surface (3028) extending from the first surface (3016) at an angle. The first surface (3016) substantially complements the shape of the nozzle-bearing body's surface (3070). The device (3000) has a recess (3023) defined therein at least in part by the first and second surfaces (3016, 3028). When the device (3000) is placed into a working configuration with the nozzle-bearing body (3070), a tangent to the third surface (3026), in a region of the third surface (3026) proximate to where the second surface (3028) meets the third surface (3026), is substantially parallel to a tangent to the first surface (3016), in a region of the first surface (3016) where the first surface (3016) meets the second surface (3028), wherein, the recess (3023) forms a pocket for receiving the fluid.

The platemaking apparatus according to the present invention forms a pattern on an ink film-forming press plate that has a surface layer containing a stimulus-responsive compound whose physical property can reversibly change in response to an external stimulus. The platemaking apparatus includes: a first stimulator that applies, to a surface of the press plate, a first stimulus that changes the physical property of the surface from a first physical property to a second physical property to form the pattern, on the basis of image data; a second stimulator that applies, to the surface of the press plate, a second stimulus that changes the physical property of the surface from the second physical property to the first physical property, to erase the pattern; and a cleaning unit that removes an ink remained on the surface of the press plate.

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.

A roll transfer coating method for coating a coating material, which has been supplied from a coater head to a pattern surface of an intaglio roll, to a coating substrate. When the supply of the coating material is made, the supply is blocked off by a contact of the intaglio roll with the bottom surface of the coater head at a position facing the pattern surface of the intaglio roll, so that the coating material in a liquid state is supplied only into a recessed portion of the intaglio roll. Upon transferring the coating material onto the coating substrate which is being transported by a high-speed coating line, the temperature of the coating material on the pattern surface of the intaglio roll is maintained at or below a first form-changing temperature, so that the coating material in a gelled state is coated to the coating substrate.

An inking system for inking an intaglio printing cylinder of an intaglio printing press is designed to perform a selective transfer of ink to one or more intaglio printing mediums by way of a selective inking cylinder provided in at least one device. The selective inking cylinder carries a selective inking plate that receives ink supplied by an associated inking unit. The selective inking plate comprises a coating that is selectively structured to exhibit ink-repellent portions and perform selective transfer of ink at locations corresponding to engraved areas of the one or more intaglio printing mediums that are to be inked with the ink supplied by the associated inking unit. The selective transfer of ink is performed indirectly from the selective inking cylinder to the one or more intaglio printing mediums via an ink collecting cylinder and/or via a chablon cylinder carrying a chablon plate.

There are described various embodiments of an inking system for inking an intaglio printing cylinder (8) of an intaglio printing press (1.sup.I; 1.sup.II; 1.sup.III ; 1.sup.IV; 1.sup.V), which intaglio printing cylinder carries one or more intaglio printing mediums (8a, 8b, 8c) that are inked by means of a plurality of inking devices (95; 95*; 95**; 905; 905*). The inking system is designed to perform a selective transfer of ink to the one or more intaglio printing mediums by means of a selective inking cylinder (98; 98*; 98**) provided in at least one of the inking devices, preferably in each of the inking devices. More precisely, the selective inking cylinder carries a selective inking plate (90a) receiving ink supplied by an associated inking unit (96/96a/97; 96*/96a*/97*; 96**/96a**; 906/906a/910/915; 906*/906a*/910*/915*), which selective inking plate comprises a coating (900) that is selectively structured to exhibit ink-repellent portions (910) and perform selective transfer of ink at locations (920) corresponding to engraved areas of the one or more intaglio printing mediums that are to be inked with the ink supplied by the associated inking unit. The selective transfer of ink to the one or more intaglio printing mediums is performed indirectly from the selective inking cylinder to the one or more intaglio printing mediums via an ink collecting cylinder (9) and/or via a chablon cylinder (99*; 99**) carrying a chablon plate (99a) comprising relief portions (99A) corresponding to engraved areas of the one or more intaglio printing mediums that are to be inked with the ink supplied by the associated inking unit.

Provided is a gravure printing apparatus, a gravure printing method, and a printed matter manufacturing method in which the ink transfer characteristics in gravure printing are controlled to be improved. The gravure printing apparatus includes: a gravure plate cylinder; a doctor blade configured to scrape off a superfluous ink from a plate surface of the gravure plate cylinder; an impression cylinder configured to press a base material to be printed against the plate surface to transfer the ink remaining in a cell of the gravure plate cylinder; and a transfer characteristics control mechanism configured to control ink transfer characteristics by supplying a gas selected from the group consisting of air having predetermined humidity, dry air, and an inert gas to at least a part of an ink transfer characteristics control area between an ink scraping-off point of the doctor blade on the plate surface and a pressing point of the impression cylinder on the plate surface.

A gravure printing system comprising a gravure cylinder having a first plurality of discrete cells disposed upon an outer surface thereof is disclosed. Each cell of said first plurality of discrete cells has a nominal diameter and is capable of receiving a fluid that is a first combination of at least two primary fluids. The fluid is fluidically displaceable through a discrete channel having a single entry point at said first position and a single exit point into a first cell of said first plurality of discrete cells. The outer surface has a metal plating disposed thereon. The metal plating reduces the nominal diameter of each cell of the first plurality of discrete cells.

A stereoscopic pattern apparatus includes a base roller and a retrieving roller, a fine pattern hardening roller, an ink inserting roller and a convex pattern hardening roller. The base roller and the retrieving roller respectively provide and retrieve a base film. The fine pattern hardening roller is disposed between the base and retrieving rollers, and forms a lower hardening layer on the base film. A fine pattern is formed on the lower hardening layer. The ink inserting roller is disposed between the fine pattern hardening roller and the retrieving roller, and inserts an ink into the fine pattern. The convex pattern hardening roller is disposed between the ink inserting roller and the retrieving roller, and forms an upper hardening layer on the lower hardening layer. A convex lens is uniformly formed on the upper hardening layer.