Relating to printing

• Main Authors: Adamson John David, Potts Rodney Martin, Bennett Peter Andrew Reath
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 07.03.2017
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; CINEMATOGRAPHY; COLOUR PRINTING; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; LINING MACHINES; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS; MATERIALS FOR SURFACES USED IN PRINTING MACHINES FOR PRINTING,INKING, DAMPING, OR THE LIKE; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES,e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTORDEVICES; PHYSICS; PREPARING SUCH SURFACES FOR USE AND CONSERVING THEM; PRINTED CIRCUITS; PRINTING; PRINTING PLATES OR FOILS; PRINTING, DUPLICATING, MARKING, OR COPYING PROCESSES; PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTINGSURFACES; STAMPS; TRANSPORTING; TYPEWRITERS

A method of preparing a printing form precursor for printing, or a printed circuit board precursor or a semiconductor precursor, the method comprising the step of applying electromagnetic radiation having a pulse duration of not greater than 1×10−6 seconds, in an imagewise manner, to an imagable surface of the precursor. The imaging process may cause ablation of the coating of the precursor or permit its development in a developer. In each case the imaging radiation needs not be tuned to imaging chemistry (if any) present in the coating. Alternatively the imaging process may induce a change of hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity, or other change of state, of an uncoated substrate.