Printing image on substrate involves producing fluid printing ink on printing-ink carrier by inputting energy using image spots of controllable vertical cavity surface emitting laser light source array

摘要

An image is printed on a printing substrate (516) by producing portions of fluid printing ink (510, 514) on a printing-ink carrier (10) by inputting energy using image spots of a controllable vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) light source (54) array. The fluid printing ink is then transferred to the printing substrate. Independent claims are also included for: (a) a device for inputting energy to a printing-ink carrier comprising controllable laser light (56) sources having a modular design including sub-arrays of VCSEL bars disposed in an array, and a printing-ink carrier having an axis of rotation and a surface for receiving image spots of the laser light sources, in which rows of the image spots are inclined with respect to the axis of rotation when the VCSEL bars are triggered simultaneously; and (b) a printing press for printing an image on a printing substrate.