Method of Improving Print Performance in Flexographic Printing Plates

摘要

A method of tailoring the shape of a plurality of relief printing dots created in a photosensitive printing blank during a platemaking process including the steps of: (a) selectively exposing at least one photocurable layer to a source of actinic radiation to selectively crosslink and cure the at least one photocurable layer; and (b) developing the exposed at least one photocurable layer to reveal the relief image therein, said relief image comprising the plurality of relief printing dots. The source of actinic radiation comprises a source of UV light in the UV-A range and a source of light in the UV-C range. The at least one photocurable layer is simultaneously exposed to the source of UV light in the UV-A range and the source of UV light in the UV-C range to produce printing dots having at least one desired geometric characteristic.

主权项

1. A method of tailoring the shape of a plurality of relief printing dots created in a photosensitive printing blank during a platemaking process, said photosensitive printing blank comprising at least one photocurable layer disposed on a backing layer, the method comprising the steps of:
a) selectively exposing the at least one photocurable layer to a source of actinic radiation to selectively crosslink and cure portions of the at least one photocurable layer; and b) developing the exposed at least one photocurable layer to reveal a the-relief image therein, said relief image comprising the plurality of relief printing dots; wherein the source of actinic radiation comprises at least one source of UV light in a UV-A range and at least one source of light in a UV-C range, wherein the at least one photocurable layer is simultaneously exposed to the at least one source of UV light in the UV-A range and the at least one source of UV light in the UV-C range; whereby printing dots are produced having at least one geometric characteristic selected from the group consisting of a desired planarity of a top surface of the relief printing dots, a desired shoulder angle of the relief printing dots and a desired edge sharpness of the relief printing dots.