Parameters associated with fabrication of an improved direct negative and plate: Methods and measurements

The Direct Negative/Direct Plate technology employs electro-erosion printing techniques to directly generate negatives and offsetprinting plates suitable for use in many printing and publishing applications. Recently we have been developing materials which yieldfunctional characteristics which are considerably improved over the first product (IBM electroNeg) to use this process. The physicalparameters that govern the suitability of materials for use in the demanding environment of both electro-erosion printing and offsetprinting is discussed and some results and techniques for measuring these parameters described.