Method for thermal treatment of relief surface for a relief printing form

1. A method for preparing a relief printing form from a photosensitive element having an exterior surface and comprising a layer of a photopolymerizable composition capable of being partially liquefied, comprising the steps of:

(a) heating the exterior surface to a temperature to cause a portion of the layer to liquefy and form liquefied material;

(b) contacting the photosensitive element with a development medium to allow the liquefied material to be removed by the development medium and to form a relief surface, whereby the development medium induces a mark on the relief surface; and

(c) impinging the exterior surface of the photosensitive element with a jet of a heated gas to at least mitigate the mark on the relief surface.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising imagewise exposing the photosensitive element to actinic radiation prior to heating the exterior surface, whereby the contacting step forms the relief surface.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the relief surface comprises one or more raised portions and one or more recessed portions, and the impinging step reduces or eliminates the mark on one or more raised portions.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating steps (a) and (b) two or more times, removing liquefied material to form the relief surface of the photopolymerizable layer, followed by at least one step (c).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the jet of the heated gas impinging the exterior surface has temperature of 80° C. to 425° C.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the jet of the heated gas impinging the exterior surface has temperature of 200° C. to 375° C.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising transporting the photosensitive element by the impinging jet of heated gas at a transport speed to reduce or eliminate the mark in one or more passes.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein prior to step c) the exterior surface has a first gloss value, and after step c) the exterior surface has a second gloss value that is greater than the first gloss value.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein during step c) the element is not contacting the development medium.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the relief surface comprises one or more raised printing elements and the mark is deformation of one or more of the raised printing elements, and the impinging step relaxes the deformation for printing by one or more of the raised printing elements.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the jet of the heated gas impinging the exterior surface to at least mitigate the mark has a heat flux greater than 10 kiloWatts/m 2 (kW/m 2 ).

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the heating step comprises impinging the exterior surface with the jet of the heated gas emitting from a nozzle assembly.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the nozzle assembly comprises an aperture forming a slot or a plurality of openings that is adapted to emit the jet of heat gas.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the nozzle assembly comprises an aperture selected from a slot that is adapted to emit the jet of heated gas having a heat flux determined from the following relationship

heat flux=−32.5 (kW/m 2 )+[0.687 (kW-sec/m 3 )*velocity (m/sec)]+[0.203 (kW/m 2 ° C.)*temperature (° C.)]

or, from a plurality of openings that is adapted to emit the jet of heat gas having a heat flux determined from the following relationship

heat flux=−33.3 (kW/m 2 )+[1.77 (kW-sec/m 3 )*velocity (m/sec)]+[0.189 (kW/m 2 ° C.)*temperature (° C.)]

wherein the velocity is 15 to 30 meter/second and the temperature is 120° C. to 330° C.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising transporting the photosensitive element by the impinging jet of heated gas at a development transport speed to cause a portion of the layer to soften or liquefy and form the liquefied material.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising transporting the photosensitive element by the impinging jet of heated gas to at least mitigate the mark at a transport speed that is less than or equal to the development transport speed.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the temperature of the jet of heated gas for heating to cause a portion of the layer to form the liquefied material is 120° C. to 330° C., and the temperature of the jet of heated gas for impinging to at least mitigate the mark is 225° C. to 350° C.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein a gap from an exit of the nozzle assembly to the exterior surface is 1 to 15 millimeters.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising collecting a portion of the gas after impinging the exterior surface, and returning the collected gas to the nozzle assembly.