Apparatus, including a printing system, press, press components, and printing
members for lithographic printing and other similar processes, is disclosed. The
printing system for imaging printing members includes a plurality of infra red
laser diodes coupled to a respective optical fiber for providing an output light
beam, and a stationary telecentric lens assembly, that operates to image a printing
member by exposure from ablative infra-red radiation. The printing members include
a first substrate layer, with a second radiation absorbing layer over this first
layer, for supporting an image ablated onto the printing member. A third surface
coating layer is over the second layer. The third layer is substantially abdhesive
to ink while the second layer has an affinity for ink opposite that of the third
layer. Methods for imaging with the apparatus and for imaging the printing members
are also disclosed.