217results about "Relief printing" patented technology

A system and method for printing aqueous ink jet ink in selected areas of nonabsorbent and semi-nonabsorbent substrates includes applying an ink-receptive coating having an aesthetically pleasing appearance in the selected areas, for example with printing station having a printing and drying unit for applying the ink-receptive coating in the desired area or areas of the substrate and then drying the coating, and printing an aqueous ink jet ink in the coated area with a CIJ, TIJ, pr PIJ printer. Variable print may be printed with the ink jet ink in a high speed process.

Systems and methods for high-speed variable printing are provided. Ink jet technology and lithographic systems may be combined in such a way to create a fully variable and high-quality print system. An aqueous solution is applied to a cylinder to produce a first negative image. A positive image in ink is transferred to a print medium. Residue ink and aqueous solution is then cleaned from the cylinder and aqueous solution is applied to the cylinder to produce a second negative image. The systems and methods described herein may be used to create high-quality one-to-one marketing applications.

The present invention provides articles comprising a substrate, a coating that is applied to the substrate, and surface reliefs that are cast or embossed onto the coating at substantially the same speeds and widths of conventional printing, and in substantially perfect register to conventional printing, wherein the coating is selected from the group consisting of HRISR coatings, LRISR coatings, water-based coatings, solvent-based coatings, UV/EB based coatings, sol-gel based coatings, conductive coatings, silver reduction based coatings and metallic coatings. A protective or printed layer may (or may not) be applied on top of the coating. Specifically, if the coating is an HRISR or LRISR coating, then it is unnecessary to apply a special high refractive layer because HRISR and LRISR coatings inherently contain the refractive index properties that are necessary to keep the surface reliefs viewable despite any printing on top of the coating. Otherwise, if the coating does not comprise an HRISR or LRISR coating, then a high refractive protective layer is applied on top of the coating, wherein the protective layer follows a topography of the surface reliefs such that a thickness of the protective coating is substantially uniform.

The present invention provides articles comprising a substrate, a high (or low) refractive index and/or metallic surface relief coating that is applied to the substrate and surface relief structures that are applied to the coating at substantially the same speeds and widths of conventional printing systems, and in substantially perfect register to conventional printing systems, thereby obviating the need for already-embossed substrates including films and hot-stamping foils.

Apparatus for balancing a printing roller having an image producing area thereon, includes a detector for detecting any unbalance of the printing roller during rotation thereof. A computer determines weight adjustments of the printing roller that are required to correct the unbalance, in response to the detection. A laser is controlled by the computer to remove material, in response to the determination, from at least one engraveable plate mounted on the outer surface of the printing roller or from the printing roller itself, in an area outside of the image producing area, in order to balance the printing roller.

A flexographic press of conventional design is used to print on a container, with the container to be printed upon replacing the web and the impression roll of the conventional press. In order to maintain the registration between the print stations, the container is placed into a carrier and stays registered to the carrier until all colors are printed. The carrier is moved between the different print stations and is registered to each print station independently. All print stations are set up to print in exactly the same place relative to the carrier, thus registration is achieved.

A combined lithographic/flexographic printing process having a plurality of successive printing stations for printing color images on a substrate in a continuous in-line process. One of the stations prints a first color image using the flexographic process and at least one of the successive printing stations prints a second color image over the first color image using an offset lithographic process in the continuous in-line process.

Apparatus for producing a printed film, the apparatus including a roll of water-soluble film to be printed, the film including a resin that includes polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) or a copolymer thereof, a rotating drum, a printing system for printing a printed pattern onto the film, the printing system including a plurality of separate printing stations arranged on the rotating drum. Printed films made from the apparatus.

Flexographic printing using a processor to apply a control value to an ink pumping and control system responsive to the control value, where the control value sets an operating mode of the ink pumping and control system, where the ink pumping and control system includes a stepper motor coupled to a peristaltic pump. Ink is pumped through the rotary coupling into a rotating diffusion cylinder and metered through a plurality of passages so as to contact a permeable membrane covering the diffusion cylinder. A dual blade assembly cleans the permeable membrane and ink passing through the permeable membrane is metered onto a printing plate or printing sleeve.

Systems and processes for making a flexo plate, and plates made thereby. Non-printing indicia defined by areas of presence and absence of polymer in the plate floor created using microdots imaged during a LAMS layer imaging step are readable downstream of the washing or other non-cured-polymer-removal step but not to print in the printing step. The non-printing indicia may define a repeating pattern of alphanumeric characters, non-text graphics, or a combination thereof. A difference in growth of plate structures corresponding to different types of microdots may be used for characterizing processing conditions.

A printing press cylinder and a method of manufacturing the same. The printing press cylinder includes a rigid base member having a reduced radius section and a polymer layer formed about the rigid base member generally within the reduced radius section. The polymer layer is operable to absorb forces and dissipate energy that degrades print quality. A gear portion is operably coupled to the rigid base member for rotation therewith. The printing press cylinder is manufactured by turning a rigid base member to produce a reduced radius section and subsequently molding a polymer layer generally within the reduced radius section of the rigid base member. The polymer layer is cured and then turned to reduce the circumference thereof and produce a smooth surface.

There is described a method and an inking apparatus (50) for forming an ink pattern (80) on the surface of a form cylinder (15b) of a printing press, which ink pattern (80) exhibits, at least in part, a two-dimensional ink gradient extending in an axial direction and a circumferential direction on the surface of the form cylinder (15b). At least first and second chablon cylinders (20, 25) are placed one after the other along an inking path of the ink train (20, 25, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35a, 35b, 36, 37) inking the form cylinder (15b) for distributing ink in the axial and circumferential directions and means (200, 201, 210, 211, 212, 250, 251, 260, 261, 262) are provided for subjecting the first and second chablon cylinders (20, 25) to cyclical oscillation movements in the axial direction and the circumferential direction.

A method of registering various colours in flexography, and a flexographic printer comprising a device for implementing the method are provided. The printer comprises at least one supporting drum with at least first and second printing rollers and an optical sensor, downstream from the rollers. The method comprises consecutively printing first and second marks with the first and second rollers, using the sensor to generate first and second position signals that are representative of the positions of the first and second marks within a printing length and to generate adjustment signals by comparison of the second position signal with the first position signal, taken as reference, or the first and second position signals with a pre-established position signal. The positions of rollers are adjusted based on the adjustment signals.

A flexographic rotary platen printing press for printing indicia on a web of flexible material moving along a longitudinal axis. The flexographic rotary platen printing press includes a print drum assembly that is affixed to a trolley that is moveable in a linear direction across the web generally transverse to the direction of the web movement. When the web is stopped, the print drum is caused to roll across the web that is sandwiched between the print drum and a flat, planar platen to print indicia onto the web in a line contact. A linear drive system causes the movement of the print drum assembly. The speed of the transverse movement is electronically coordinated to the speed of the rotation of the print drum as it moves across the web to carry out the printing operation. A multi-color printing process is created by serially positioning two or more flexographic presses without the use of a large number of idler rollers or changes of direction in the path of the web as it moves from one flexographic printing press to a subsequent flexographic printing press.

A method of improving performance of a relief image printing plate on a printing cylinder which includes mounting a compressible cushion element on a surface of the printing cylinder. The surface of the cushion element that is contactable with the relief image printing plate is a low friction surface that allows a relief image printing plate to slide freely across its surface and settle into position on the printing cylinder. The use of a cushion element having a low friction surface reduces smut and improves registration of the printing plate on the printing cylinder.