Method of producing a relief image for printing
View Patent ↗The present invention involves a method for making a relief image. A film that includes a carrier sheet and an imageable material is used to form a mask image that is opaque to a curing radiation. In one embodiment, the mask image is formed on the carrier sheet while in another embodiment, the mask image is formed on a receptor sheet. The mask image is then transferred to a photosensitive material, such as a flexographic printing plate precursor. The resulting assembly is exposed to the curing radiation resulting in exposed and unexposed areas of the photosensitive material. The carrier sheet or the receptor sheet may be removed from the mask image either before or after exposure to the curing radiation. Finally, the photosensitive material and mask image assembly is developed with a suitable developer to form a relief image.
1. An assembly comprising:
(a) a film comprising a transferable mask image disposed on a carrier sheet, the mask image having exposed areas and non-exposed areas, and being derived from an imageable material comprising an infrared radiation absorbing dye or a carbon black, and in proximity with the film,
(b) a photosensitive material comprising a layer that is sensitive to curing radiation, and the mask image is more adherent to the photosensitive material than to the carrier sheet.
2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the film further comprises a release layer disposed between the carrier sheet and the mask image, the release layer having a thickness of from 0.1 μm to 10 μm.
3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the release layer comprises polyvinyl alcohol, cellulosic polymer, poly(vinyl butyral), or hydrolyzed styrene maleic anhydride copolymer.
4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the film further comprises a barrier layer disposed between the carrier sheet and the mask image.
5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the barrier layer comprises poly(cyanoacrylate alkyl) or nitrocellulose, and an infrared absorber.
6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the mask image comprises an ultraviolet absorber or a colorant, or both.
7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the mask image comprises an adhesive binder.
8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the mask image comprises metal oxide particles.
9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the photosensitive material comprises a separation layer.
10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the photosensitive material comprises a flexographic printing plate precursor.
11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the photosensitive material comprises a conductive material.
12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the photosensitive material comprises a conductive metal and the photosensitive material comprises an UV-curable resin having a thickness of at least 3 μm.
13. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the photosensitive material comprises an ultraviolet-curable material.
14. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the photosensitive material is a lithographic printing plate precursor.
15. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the photosensitive material is a printed circuit board precursor.
16. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the printed circuit board precursor comprises a conductive metal layer.
17. The assembly of claim 15 wherein the photosensitive material is UV-curable.
18. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the photosensitive material comprises an emulsion comprising a silver halide, an organic silver salt, or both.
19. An assembly comprising:
(a) a film comprising a transferable mask image disposed on a carrier sheet, the mask image having exposed areas and non-exposed areas, and being derived from an imageable material comprising an infrared radiation absorbing dye or a carbon black, and in proximity with the film,
(b) a photosensitive material comprising a layer that is sensitive to curing radiation, and the mask image is more adherent to the photosensitive material than to the carrier sheet,
wherein the mask image further comprises a fluorocarbon additive.