Patent ID: 7158256

Claim:
An image recorder for recording a printing image on a printing plate, comprising: a) a transport element for transporting said printing plate to a predetermined position; b) a reference position determining element for determining a predetermined reference position on said printing plate, said reference position determining element including b-1) a first holding element for holding a first portion of a front edge of said printing plate, b-2) a pair of second holding elements for holding at least one of second portions of said front edge of said printing plate, b-3) a first reference establishing element for establishing a first reference indication for image recording in said front edge of said printing plate, and b-4) a second reference establishing element for establishing a second reference indication for printing in said printing plate; and c) a recording element for recording a printing image on said printing plate, said recording element including c-1) a third holding element for holding a third portion of said front edge of said printing plate, c-2) a pair of fourth holding elements for holding at least one of fourth portions of said front edge of said printing plate, and c-3) an image recording element for recording a printing image on said printing plate, wherein said first reference establishing element and each of said pair of second holding elements are spaced apart from each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction in which said printing plate is transported to said recording element, and said third holding element and said each of said pair of fourth holding elements are provided to satisfy the following conditions: (i) said third holding element and said each of said pair of fourth holding elements are spaced apart from each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction in which said printing plate is transported to said recording element; (ii) the positional relationship between said third holding element and said each of said pair of fourth holding elements relative to each other in a horizontal plane is identical with the positional relationship between said first reference establishing element and said each of said pair of second holding elements relative to each other in a horizontal plane; and (iii) said pair of fourth holding elements are provided in corresponding relation to a portion of said front edge of said printing plate which is held by said pair of second holding elements during the determination of said reference position.