Chemistry and Technology of Printing and Imaging Systems

P. Gregory, ed.

1996

xiii + 226 pages

This book is of key interest to chemists and technologists working in the development of new or improved printing and imaging systems. It offers a good description of the three main printing and imaging technologies (impact, non-impact, and photography) and critically evaluates each in the light of cost, speed, performance, and suitability for purpose. The author also illustrates those areas where competition between the technologies has resulted in improved performance and benefits to the user. Because of the rapid changes in the printing technologies over the last decade, this book presents a timely contribution to the literature.

Contents

Setting the scene

P. GREGORY
From maturity to mayhem
The ubiquitous silicon chip
The environment
Themes and focii
References

Traditional impact printing

T.S. JEWITT

Introduction

A brief history of printing

Printing technologies

Relief printing
Letterpress
Flexography
Intaglio printing
Planographic printing

The offset printing press

Image quality
The image on the plate
The offset blanket
Fount solution

Lithographic inks

Cold-set web-offset inks
Heat-set web-offset inks
Sheet-fed lithographic inks

The printing industry

Applications of the printing processes

Letterpress
Flexography
Gravure
Screenprinting
Lithography
Web offset

Commercial aspects of the British printing industry

Electronic imaging

Scanning
Output
Proofing Digital platemaking
Digital printing

Printing and the environment

References and further reading

Silver halide photography

P. BERGTHALLER

History and evolution of photographic imaging systems

Photography in black-and-white
Concepts of photography in colour: the steps of the pioneers
Silver halide photography today: the market

The physical basis of silver halide photography

A brief look at the elementary processes in the silver halide crystal
The photographic emulsion
Photographic development
Detail rendition
Development and colour: subtractive colour photography vs. additive colour photography

Photographic materials

Film
Printing media

The chemical constituents of photographic media

Emulsion ingredients and additives
Developers and processing chemistry
Colour couplers and special-purpose couplers
The chemistry of the silver-dye-bleach process
The chemistry of dye diffusion systems

Photographic quality

Future of photographic media

Frontiers of the technically feasible
Remote sensing and recording
Digital storage of photographic images: a powerful tool for information management and archiving
The merging of technologies: hybrid media and digital imaging
The merging of uses (communication and entertainment)
Ecological challenges of photographic processing
The advanced photo system

References

Electrophotography

R.S. GAIRNS

Introduction

The technology of xerography

Charging
Exposure
Image enhancement
Development
Fixing and cleaning

Consumables

Photoconductors
Charge-generation materials (CGMs)
Charge-transport materials (CTMs)
Developer

Advantages of electrophotography

Limitations of electrophotography

Competition

Synergy

Photoactive pigment electrophoresis (PAPE)
Electrography and ionography
Lithography
TonerJet

Uses of electrophotography

Toxicology and the environment

Future

References

Ink jet printing

R.W. KENYON

Introduction

Ink jet technology

Continuous ink jet
Drop-on-demand ink jet

Ink jet inks

General features
Aqueous inks
Solvent inks
Hot-melt inks

Ink jet colorants

Black dyes (first generation)
Colour dyes (first generation)

Second-generation colorants

Phase-change colorants

Colorants for industrial ink jet printers

Ink jet ink/colorant research

Advantages/limitations of ink jet

Uses of ink jet printers

Office segment
Industrial segment
Colour filters for LCDs (Liquid crystal displays)
Ink jet printing of textiles

Toxicology and the environment

Future of ink jet

References

Thermal printing

R. BRADBURY

Introduction

Direct thermal printing

Colour formers
Developers
Sensitisers
Multicolour thermal paper
Direct thermal markets

Mead Cycolor process

Photoinitiators

Dye-diffusion thermal transfer (D2T2)

Dye sheet (dye donor sheet)
Receiver sheet
Dye-diffusion thermal-transfer dyes
D2T2 market

Thermal-melt transfer

Dyesheet
Melt-transfer colorants
Receiver sheets
Printing
Thermal melt-transfer market

References

Optical data-storage (ODS) systems

P.A. HUNT

Introduction

Principles of operational functionality

Read-only memory (ROM)
Erasable versus write-once
Physical and chemical requirements

System options

Metallic ablative (WORM)
Metallic phase-change (WORM and erasable)
Dye-polymer ablative (WORM)
Photochromic dye (erasable)
Liquid crystals (WORM and erasable)
Metallic interference (WORM)

Technical performance features of ODS systems

Performance advantages of ODS systems
Performance limitations in ODS systems

Commercial performance features

Comparison with alternative technologies

Magnetic media
Magneto-optical (MO) media

Related technologies

Applications of ODS

Toxicology and environmental considerations

The future

References

Electrostatic, ionographic, magnetographic and embryonic printing technologies

P. GREGORY

Introduction

Electrographic printing

lonographic printing

Magnetographic printing

Embryonic printing technologies

High-resolution dry-processing film (VerdeFilm)
Toner fusion xeroprinting
TonerJet

Future prospects

References

The future

P. GREGORY

Introduction

Short-term predictions

Traditional printing and imaging
Non-impact printing and imaging

Longer-term predictions

Evolutionary developments
Revolutionary developments

Conclusion

References