Molded Textured Imaging Blanket Surface

摘要

Forming an imaging blanket for a printing apparatus includes depositing a patternable material over a substrate, etching the patternable material according to a desired exposure pattern, hardening the etched patternable material to thereby form a template surface comprising a desired template pattern of texture features, depositing a layer of curable liquid polymer over and in physical contact with the template surface, curing the liquid polymer to thereby form the imaging blanket, and removing the imaging blanket from the template surface to thereby expose a patterned imaging surface of the imaging blanket. The image blanket may thereby be provided with a desired texture surface, for example comprised of individual molded image blanket features, such as recesses or pillars, of a desired cross-sectional shape. The image blanket is configured for and may be disposed on an image forming member of a variable data lithography system.

主权项

1. An imaging blanket for use in a variable data lithography system, comprising:
a polymer body structure having an imaging surface; and formed in said imaging surface a repeating pattern of molded image blanket features, each said feature having a selected cross sectional shape, said pattern of molded image blanket features configured in an image-independent pattern.