Claims
- 1. A method for thermally forming vesicular images, the method comprising the steps of:
(A) providing an imageable element comprising an imageable layer over a substrate, in which the imageable layer comprises a thermally imageable vesicular imaging composition; and (B) thermally imaging the imageable layer and forming an imaged imageable layer, the imaged imageable layer comprising a vesicular image; in which the thermally imageable vesicular imaging composition comprises a sensitizer and polymeric material.
- 2. The method of claim 1 in which the image is a positive image.
- 3. The method of claim 2 additionally comprising a thermal development step after step (B).
- 4. The method of claim 2 in which the thermally imageable vesicular imaging composition additionally comprises a photothermal conversion material.
- 5. The method of claim 1 in which the image is a negative image.
- 6. The method of claim 5 additionally comprising a thermal development step after step (B).
- 7. The method of claim 5 in which the thermally imageable vesicular imaging composition comprises a photothermal conversion material.
- 8. The method of claim 7 in which imaging is carried out with infrared radiation.
- 9. The method of claim 5 in which imaging is carried out with a hot body.
- 10. The method of claim 5 additionally comprising, before step (B), overall exposing the imageable layer with ultraviolet radiation.
- 11. The method of claim 10 in which in which the thermally imageable vesicular imaging composition comprises a photothermal conversion material.
- 12. The method of claim 10 in which the sensitizer is a diazonium compound.
- 13. A method for forming a relief image, the method comprising the steps of:
(A) providing an imageable element, the imageable element comprising, in order:
(i) a substrate; (ii) a photosensitive layer, the photosensitive layer comprising a photoimageable composition, and (iii) a masking layer, the masking layer comprising a thermally imageable vesicular imaging composition, the thermally imageable vesicular imaging composition comprising a sensitizer and a polymeric material; (B) thermally imaging the masking layer and forming a vesicular image in the masking layer; (C) overall exposing the imageable element to actinic radiation through the masking layer and forming an imaged imageable element comprising imaged and complementary unimaged regions in the photosensitive layer; and (D) developing the imaged imageable element in a developer and forming the relief image by removing either the unimaged regions or the imaged regions.
- 14. The method of claim 13 in which the vesicular image is a negative image.
- 15. The method of claim 14 additionally comprising a thermal development step after step (B) and before step (C).
- 16. The method of claim 14 in which:
the substrate is a flexible substrate; the photosensitive layer comprises a photopolymerizable composition; and developing the imaged imageable element in the developer removes the unimaged regions of the photosensitive layer.
- 17. The method of claim 16 in which the photosensitive layer is at least 0.25 cm thick.
- 18. The method of claim 17 additionally comprising a backflash exposure after step (A) and before step (D).
- 19. The method of claim 18 additionally comprising a thermal development step after step (B) and before step (C).
- 20. The method of claim 19 in which the sensitizer is a diazonium compound.
- 21. The method of claim 14 in which the thermally imageable vesicular imaging composition comprises a photothermal conversion material.
- 22. The method of claim 21 in which imaging is carried out with infrared radiation.
- 23. The method of claim 21 in which the sensitizer is a diazonium compound.
- 24. The method of claim 14 in which imaging is carried out with a hot body.
- 25. The method of claim 24 in which the sensitizer is a diazonium compound.
- 26. The method of claim 16 additionally comprising, before step (B), overall exposing the masking layer with ultraviolet radiation; in which the vesicular image is a negative image.
- 27. The method of claim 26 in which the sensitizer is a diazonium compound.
- 28. The method of claim 26 in which the thermally imageable vesicular imaging composition comprises a photothermal conversion material.
- 29. The method of claim 28 in which imaging is carried out with infrared radiation.
- 30. The method of claim 29 in which the sensitizer is a diazonium compound.
- 31. The method of claim 26 in which imaging is carried out with a hot body.
- 32. The method of claim 31 in which the sensitizer is a diazonium compound.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Appln. Ser. No. 10/282,994, filed on Oct. 28, 2002, incorporated herein by reference.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10282994 |
Oct 2002 |
US |
Child |
10349794 |
Jan 2003 |
US |