SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING DIGITAL OFFSET LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING TECHNIQUES WITH A PLURALITY OF INTERMEDIATE TRANSFERS

摘要

A system and method are provided for optimizing a multi-color variable digital data lithographic image forming system by controlling characteristics of one or more individual color inks to maximize ink transfer of a particular color ink layer onto the surface of an image receiving medium substrate, or onto other color ink layers deposited on the surface of the image receiving medium substrate when producing digital output images, including multi-color digital output images, with a proposed variable digital offset lithographic architecture. Ink characteristics and ink transfer parameters are particularly optimized in the proposed variable digital data lithographic systems to promote high efficiency ink transfer from an ink donor surface to an ink receiver surface in order that excessive amounts of untransferred ink do not remain on the ink donor surface requiring extensive cleaning of the reimageable surface in the image forming system between cycles of a multi-color ink system.

主权项

1. A method for managing ink transfer in a variable digital data lithographic image forming device, comprising:
cleaning a digitally reproducible imaging surface in the image forming device with a first cleaning device between imaging operations; cleaning at least one intermediate image transfer surface in the image forming device with a second cleaning device between the imaging operations, the second cleaning device being a different cleaning device from the first cleaning device, the at least one intermediate image transfer surface being a surface to which an inked image is transferred from the digitally reproducible imaging surface before being transferred to an output image receiving medium substrate in the imaging operations; dampening the digitally reproducible imaging surface with a layer of dampening fluid; forming a digital pattern in the layer of dampening fluid on the digitally reproducible imaging surface; inking the digital pattern formed on the digitally reproducible imaging surface with a first color ink to produce a first color inked image; transferring the first color inked image from the digitally reproducible imaging surface to the at least one intermediate image transfer surface; cleaning residual first color ink from the digitally reproducible imaging surface; inking the digital pattern formed on the digitally reproducible imaging surface with at least one second color ink to produce at least a second color inked image; transferring the at least the second color inked image from the digitally reproducible imaging surface to the at least one intermediate image transfer surface to form a multi-color inked image; transferring the multi-color inked image from the at least one intermediate image transfer surface to the output image receiving medium substrate at an image transfer nip formed between the at least one intermediate image transfer surface and an opposing impression roller; and outputting the output image receiving medium substrate with the multi-color inked imaged formed thereon from the image forming device.