Method for printing a material onto a substrate

摘要

The invention provides a method for printing a material onto a substrate with a relief printing form made from a photosensitive element. The method includes forming an in-situ mask having a line screen resolution equal to or greater than 250 lines per inch on the photosensitive element, exposing the element to actinic radiation through the in-situ mask in an environment having an inert gas and a concentration of oxygen between 190,000 and 100 ppm, and treating the exposed element to form a relief structure having a plurality of raised surfaces with a line screen resolution equal to or greater than 250 lines per inch. Printing is accomplished by applying an imaging material to the plurality of raised surfaces and contacting to transfer the imaging material to the substrate. The method is suitable for printing high resolution graphic images, as well as for forming a uniform layer of imaging material on the substrate.

主权项

1. A method for printing a material onto a substrate comprising:
a) providing a relief printing form from a photosensitive element comprising a layer of a photopolymerizable composition containing a binder, an ethylenically unsaturated compound, and a photoinitiator, with steps comprising:
i) forming an in-situ mask having a plurality of openings through an area opaque to actinic radiation adjacent the photopolymerizable layer, the openings having a line screen resolution equal to or greater than 250 lines per inch;ii) exposing the photopolymerizable layer to actinic radiation through the mask openings in an environment having an inert gas and a concentration of oxygen between 190,000 parts per million (ppm) and 100 ppm; andiii) treating the element resulting from step ii) to form a relief structure having a plurality of raised surfaces with a line-screen resolution equal to or greater than 250 lines per inch; b) applying the material to the plurality of raised surfaces; and c) contacting the material from the plurality of raised surfaces to the substrate thereby transferring the material to the substrate.