This paper reports on recent image scanner technologies. An outline of typical image scanner system is introduced and technical features of three types of scanner devices which are CCD type, thin-film type and multi-chip type, are discussed. In addition, illuminators and image processing technologies are briefly explained.

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Some technological trend on laser light sources used for scanning/recording were explained. In the near future, laser diode having several excellent qualities such as small size and light amount, less consumption for electric power, long life and directly modulation will be largely excepted for light sources used for imaging systems such as laser-beam-printer etc.. Recent techniques for shortning of wavelength about laser diode above mentioned were stated. For example, on the case of laser diode used by ZnCdSe active layer and emitting continuously at room temperature with 489.9nm blue laser light was discussed. More-over about the 450nm high brightness blue light-emitting diode composed of InGaN/AlGaN was described as a technique related with realization for shorting of wavelength. The relation between shortning of wavelength and imaging resolution was mentioned about an excimer laser of rare halide gas and laser-plasma-Xray-laser. Those are used as exposure light sources for lithography making ULSI.

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Since laser scanning technology has been in practical use for image recording, various kinds of light source and scanning methods were developed and have come into practice. Among the various kinds of scanning methods, flat-field scanning configuration is most widely used. This paper describes recent trends in flatfield laser scanning technology, cost reduction and progress in performance of optical system.

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With the progress of the information society, storage devices need to become faster and larger capacity. Optical mass storage system is meeting the needs of a multimedia database file that stores large amounts of documents or image data and also as a high-speed backup file.

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In this paper, the developement of a direct laser plate exposure machine which is called a Direct Plate Printing Recorder (DPPR) is described. The developement of our flat bed DPPR was started in 1976 and the first generation machine was completed in 1980. The practical use of the first generation laser plate exposure machine did not spread widely. Nevertheless, scanners having the same type of optical systems have since become popular and have been used as one of the most important key devices for electronic newspaper production systems in Japan. A newly developed second generation DPPR which uses a laser diode as the light source and an Organic Photo Conductor (OPC) plate as the recording medium has been practically used in newspaper plants since 1991. The intent of this report is to describe the configuration and the recent technological features of the second generation DPPR compared to the first generation DPPR.
In Chapter 2, general outlines of the laser plate exposure machine are overviewed. The requirements for DPPR specifications are then discussed in Chapter 3 and 4. Detailed comparison of features and configurations between the first generation DPPR and the new DPPR are described in Chapter 5 and the optical systems having high performance, high speed and high resolution and being maintenance free are explained.
In Chapter 6, evaluation results are expressed using measured data. These data show us that the application of DPPR is a pertinent way to simplify the process of plate making from computer signals.

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We studied the photo-polymerization process initiated by the cyanine-borate complex system known as typical phto-initiator as electron transfer mechanism. We found that the addition of 1, 2-naphthoquinone diazid-4-octylphenol-sulfonate (4-NQDS) into a photo-polymerizable composition enhances the sensitivity of system. We studied the mechanism of the addition effect of this compound.

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The objective of this study is to develop the direct platemaking process for offset lithographic printing using melt-type thermal transfer technology by laser heating. Since the laser light is focused into very small spot of about three micrometer in diameter, a high definition image can be obtained. Zinc oxide-binder polymer layer coated on the polymer film was used for the master plate. The ink layer in a ribbon was exposed to laser light and transfered to ZnO master plate for offset printing. The optimization of mixture ratio of ZnO to binder polymer was investigated. The high definition master plate at a resolution of 1, 524 DPI was obtained. Farther, it was confirmed that the pre-etched master plate can be used in this process.

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With the digitalization of prepress process, the practical use of DDCP (Direct Digital Color Proofing), which is able to produce color proof directly from digital data without using films, has become remarkably important theme in the field of proofs, In this report, as the introduction of DDCP, summaries of its recording methods of “silverhalide-photography method”, “thermal transfer method”, “ink jet method” and “electrophotography method”, and the application fields of DDCP at each process of printed matter production are described.

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