Laser imageable printing plate and substrate therefor

• Main Authors: GRACIA ROBERT F, FROMSON HOWARD A, ROZELL WILLIAM J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.05.2002
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; LINING MACHINES; MATERIALS FOR SURFACES USED IN PRINTING MACHINES FOR PRINTING,INKING, DAMPING, OR THE LIKE; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PREPARING SUCH SURFACES FOR USE AND CONSERVING THEM; PRINTING; PRINTING PLATES OR FOILS; PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTINGSURFACES; STAMPS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING; TYPEWRITERS

A metal substrate is treated with a plurality of rotating brushes and a slurry of particulate material such that the treated surface is capable of absorbing incident infrared laser radiation. The substrate is itself capable of being visibly imaged by selective writing with an infrared laser. The substrate is coated with an ablatable coating which is transparent to the imaging infrared laser radiation. Selective exposure to infrared laser radiation ablates this coating in the laser exposed areas as a result of the absorption of infrared radiation by the substrate. The substrate can be anodized after rotary brush graining and still retain its ability to be imaged and ablate a coating. The coated article can be imaged in a computer-to-plate infrared laser imaging device. Depending on the specific coating and substrate selection, the imaged article can be used in a conventional lithographic printing process or in a dryographic printing process.