APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR MAKING LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTING PLATES

Apparatus for making lithographic plates directly from a copy original which comprises, an enclosure which houses a copyboard, an optical train and a carriage. The carriage moves in a horizontal path beneath a platen carrying a sheet of electrophotographic material. The carriage has a corona device, a slit, a toner device including a bias plate and means for withdrawing excess toner. The copyboard is loaded in a horizontal position, is moved to a vertical position where a light scanning assembly moves over its face in synchronism with movement of the carriage. The pattern on the copyboard is projected horizontally into a pit or optical chamber where it is deviated upward to cooperate with the slit. The platen is a cover of the apparatus, can be opened after imaging and toning, the toned electrophotographic member then being removed for further processing.