Process for making a flexographic printing plate
US6558876B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 1, 1997 |
| Grant date | May 6, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 1, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S430/146
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A process for making a flexographic photopolymer printing plate includes providing a photosensitive element comprising a support, a layer of a photopolymerizable material on the support, and an infrared ablation layer which is ablatable by infrared radiation and substantially opaque to actinic radiation on the photopolymerizable material. The infrared ablation layer comprises at least one infrared absorbing material, a radiation opaque material, and at least one binder which is substantially incompatible with low molecular weight materials in the photopolymerizable layer. The infrared ablation layer is imagewise ablated with infrared laser radiation to form a mask. The photosensitive element is then overall exposed to actinic radiation through the mask, and treated with at least one developer solution to remove the remaining infrared ablation layer and areas of the photopolymerizable layer not exposed to actinic radiation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.