Method of printing through cellular plates

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRINTING THROUGH A CELLULAR PLATE HAVING CELLS UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED OVER THE PLATE WITH A NARROW OPENING OF CAPILLARY DIMENSIONS FROM EACH CELL THROUGH THE FRONT SURFACE OF THE PLATE AND A RELATIVELY LARGE OPENING FROM EACH CELL THROUGH THE REAR SURFACE, BY FILLING CELLS WITH PRINTING FLUID THROUGH THE RELATIVELY LARGE REAR OPENINGS, CLOSING THE REAR OPENINGS WITH A TRANSPARENT SHEET AND HEATING THE FLUID IN THE CELLS BY ILLUMINATING THE REAR SURFACE WITH A RADIANT ENERGY IMAGE ABSORBABLE BY THE FLUID, SAID IMAGE BEING NEGATIVE TO THAT TO BE PRINTED, TO EXPEL PRINTING FLUID FROM THE NARROW FRONT OPENINGS, DIFFERENTIALLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE IMAGE, ONTO A SURFACE TO BE PRINTED CHARACTERIZED BY THE STEP OF RE-INKING THE PLATE BEFORE EACH PRINTING OPERATION BY RAISING THE TRANSPARENT SHEET FROM THE REAR SURFACE AND FLOWING ONTO THE REAR SURFACE, THE PRINTING FLUID AT AN AVERAGE PRESSURE BELOW THE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE AT THE FRONT SURFACE OF THE PLATE, BUT NOT SUFFICIENTLY BELOW TO OVERCOME THE SURFACE TENSION WHICH TENDS TO HOLD THE PRINTING FLUID LEVEL WITH THE NARROW FRONT OPENINGS IN THE PLATE.