Patent ID: 7000542

Claim:
A litho printing press comprising: at least one printing station having: an ink fountain having a supply of paste-type oil-based litho ink; applicator roller means located adjacent the ink fountain for receiving ink from the fountain; a rotatable plate cylinder located adjacent the ink fountain and the applicator roller means; the plate cylinder having secured thereto a non-planar, multiple layer, flexible printing plate called a “Mike Plate” or “Modified Mike Plate”, the multiple layer flexible printing plate comprising an outermost applicator layer which receives the paste-type oil based ink from the ink fountain via the applicator roller means, and an innermost carrier layer of a different material than the outermost layer, the outermost applicator layer being adhesively secured to the innermost carrier layer by a transparent adhesive, the outermost layer including spaced cut-out segments and adjacent projecting portions, the projecting portions forming image areas which receive the litho ink from the applicator roller means; a rotatable impression cylinder over which a substrate passes and located adjacent the plate cylinder and forming a nip therewith; wherein the projecting portions of the multiple layer printing plate on the plate cylinder deposit the paste-type oil-based litho ink thereon directly upon desired areas of the substrate held in contact with the projecting portions in the nip between the impression cylinder and plate cylinder, there being no blanket cylinder, dampener or dampening solution in the printing station to complicate the litho press construct or operation.