초록 ▼

An ink jet image transfer lithographic apparatus is coupled to a source for supplying graphics and textual material to an ink jet printhead. The ink jet printhead melts a hydrophobic solid ink and sprays the ink onto a lithographic plate in a predetermined pattern. The solid ink solidifies upon cont

An ink jet image transfer lithographic apparatus is coupled to a source for supplying graphics and textual material to an ink jet printhead. The ink jet printhead melts a hydrophobic solid ink and sprays the ink onto a lithographic plate in a predetermined pattern. The solid ink solidifies upon contact with the plate. The plate is then mounted in a lithographic press for lithographic printing. As an alternative, the ink jet printhead may be mounted in a lithographic press for imaging a lithographic plate mounted in the lithographic press or for spraying ink directly onto the plate cylinder of the press. A succession of lithographic plates may be provided around the plate cylinder of the lithographic press and each plate discarded after use, leaving a clean plate on the plate cylinder.

대표청구항 ▼

An apparatus for producing lithographic plates comprising: a source of solid hydrophobic true ink; a printhead connected to the source of hydrophobic ink to dispense the hydrophobic ink onto a lithographic plate by melting the ink and spraying droplets of the melted ink onto the plate in a predeterm

An apparatus for producing lithographic plates comprising: a source of solid hydrophobic true ink; a printhead connected to the source of hydrophobic ink to dispense the hydrophobic ink onto a lithographic plate by melting the ink and spraying droplets of the melted ink onto the plate in a predetermined pattern, wherein the ink solidifies essentially upon contact with the plate; and means coupled to the printhead for receiving information containing the predetermined pattern, and for controlling the spray of droplets from the printhead in response to such received information.