Process and material for producing IR imaged gravure cylinders
View Patent ↗A gravure printing blank that can be easily and quickly imaged digitally by means of laser imaging and a method for preparing the same. The gravure printing blank comprises a metallic surface, a pre-polymer layer covering said metallic surface, comprising UV curable materials, photo initiators and binder resins and a photo-tool layer covering said pre-polymer layer.
1. A method for preparing a gravure printing surface, comprising the steps of:
providing a printing blank comprising:
metallic surface;
a pre-polymer layer covering said metallic surface, comprising UV curable materials, photo intiators and binder resins; and a photo-tool layer covering said pre-polymer layer;
ablation imaging said photo-tool layer with IR radiation to form a UV mask;
exposing said printing blank to UV radiation through said imaged photo-tool, thereby polymerizing the areas imaged in said step of imaging;
washing said printing blank to remove non-ablated and non-polymerized areas;
depositing metal onto said washed areas, thereby forming calls of said gravure printing blank; and
removing said pre-polymer layer from within said cells.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of depositing is done by a process of electroplating.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of depositing is done by an electroless process.
4. The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising a step of plating following said step of depositing.
5. The method of claim 1 , additionally comprising a step of plating following said step of removing.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gravure printing surface comprises a gravure cylinder.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gravure printing surface comprises a gravure plate.
8. A gravure printing surface produced according to the method of claim 1 .
9. The gravure printing surface of claim 8 , wherein the step of depositing is done by a process of electroplating.
10. The gravure printing surface of claim 8 , wherein the step of depositing is done by an electroless process.
11. The gravure printing surface of claim 8 , wherein said step of depositing is followed by an additional plating.
12. The gravure printing surface of claim 8 , wherein said step of removing is followed by an additional plating.
13. The gravure printing surface of claim 8 , comprising a gravure cylinder.
14. The gravure printing surface of claim 8 , comprising a gravure plate.