Claims
- 1) a method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface comprising the steps of:
a) image-wise or information-wise exposing to radiation a thermally convertible lithographic printing precursor comprising
i) a hydrophilic lithographic base, ii) a radiation sensitive coating on at least one surface of said hydrophilic lithographic base, said coating comprising within at least one layer
(1) uncoalesced particles of at least one hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer and (2) at least one inorganic salt and (3) at least one converter substance capable of converting radiation into heat b) developing said exposed thermally convertible lithographic printing precursor with an aqueous medium in order to remove the unexposed parts of said coating.
- 2) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in claim 1, wherein said radiation is light.
- 3) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in claim 2, wherein said light is infrared.
- 4) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in claim 3, wherein said at least one hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer is a member of at least one of the following groups of polymers: polystyrene, polymers of substituted polystyrene, polyethylene, poly(meth)acrylates, polyvinylchloride, polyurethanes, polyesters, polyacrylonitrile and copolymers thereof.
- 5) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in any of the above claims, wherein said converter substance is at least one of carbon black, a pigment and a dye.
- 6) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in any of the above claims wherein said converter substance is an infrared absorbing dye.
- 7) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in any of the above claims, wherein said inorganic salt is at least one of an aqueous soluble metal salt.
- 8) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in any of the above claims, wherein said inorganic salt is at least one of the group of alkali metal salts.
- 9) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in any of the above claims, wherein said hydrophilic lithographic base is one of a metallized plastic sheet, a treated aluminum plate, a sleeve-less printing press cylinder and a printing press cylinder sleeve and a flexible support having thereon a cross-linked hydrophilic layer.
- 10) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in claim 9, wherein said sleeve-less printing press cylinder and said printing press cylinder sleeve are seamless.
- 11) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in claim 9, wherein the surface of said lithographic base is anodized aluminum.
- 12) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in any of the above claims, wherein at least one laser is used for said image-wise or information-wise exposing.
- 13) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in any of the above claims, wherein said image-wise or information-wise exposing is performed while said thermally convertible lithographic printing precursor is mounted on a printing press, said mounting being one of fixed and removable
- 14) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in any of the above claims, wherein said radiation sensitive coating is applied to said hydrophilic lithographic base while said hydrophilic lithographic base is mounted on a printing press, said mounting being one of fixed and removable.
- 15) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in any of the above claims, wherein said developing of an image-wise or information-wise exposed thermally convertible lithographic printing precursor is performed while said precursor is mounted on a printing press, said mounting being one of fixed and removable.
- 16) A method for obtaining a lithographic printing surface as in any of the above claims, wherein said at least one converter substance is present in the same layer as said uncoalesced particles of at least one hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer.
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This patent is related to our co-pending U.S. patent application entitled “Thermally convertible lithographic printing precursor”. The application number will be provided once issued by the USPTO.