METHOD AND PROCESSOR FOR DEVELOPING A VIOLET IMAGED LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING PLATE

摘要

A method and equipment for producing a lithographic plate including producing an imaged plate having partially reacted image areas including unreacted coating material, and completely unreacted nonimage areas; without preheating the imaged plate, delivering the imaged plate to a developing station containing a single developing tank where rotating brushes with an aqueous wash solution (i) dissolve the top coat, (ii) removing only the unreacted, nonimage areas from the substrate while retaining unreacted material in the image areas and (iii) condition the upper surface of the plate. The conditioned plate is conveyed out of the tank and immediately subjected to an external source of IR and/or UV energy which further reacts the retained unreacted material in the image areas.