Photosensitive resin laminate and thermal processing of the same

1. A method of developing a photocurable printing blank to produce a relief pattern comprising a plurality of relief printing dots, wherein the photocurable printing blank comprises a backing layer having at least one photocurable layer disposed thereon and a barrier layer disposed on at least one photocurable layer, the method comprising the steps of:

a) placing a negative of a desired relief image on top of the barrier layer;

b) exposing the printing blank to actinic radiation through the barrier layer and negative to selectively crosslink and cure the at least one photocurable layer, wherein the at least one photocurable layer is crosslinked and cured in the areas that are not covered by the negative, thereby creating the desired relief image; and

c) developing the printing blank to remove the barrier layer and the uncured portions of the photocurable layer and reveal the relief pattern;

wherein the barrier layer has an oxygen diffusion coefficient of less than 6.9×10 −9 m 2 /sec and an optical transparency of at least 50%.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of relief printing dots have one or more characteristics selected from:

a) steep shoulder angles, wherein the shoulder angle of each of the plurality of relief printing dots is such that the overall shoulder angle is greater than about 50°;

b) planarity of a top surface of the relief printing dots, wherein the planarity of the top surface of the relief printing dots is such that the radius of curvature of the top surface of the relief printing dots, r t , is greater than the total thickness of the at least one layer of photocurable material;

c) sufficient depth of relief between the relief printing dots, wherein the depth of relief between the relief printing dots is greater than about 9% of the overall plate relief;

d) edge sharpness of the relief printing dots, wherein the edge sharpness of the relief printing dots, defined as a ratio of the radius of curvature at the intersection of the shoulder and the top surface of the relief printing dot, (r e ) to the width of the top surface of the relief printing dot (p) is less than 5%; and

e) low surface roughness, wherein the surface roughness of the top surface of the plurality of relief printing dots is less than about 2000 nm.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises steep shoulder angles, wherein the shoulder angle of each of the plurality of relief printing dots is such that the overall shoulder angle is greater than about 50°.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the shoulder angle of each of the plurality of relief printing dots is such that overall shoulder angle is greater than about 70°.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises planarity of the top surface of the relief printing dots, wherein the planarity of the top surface of the relief printing dots is such that the radius of curvature of the top surface of the relief printing dots, r t , is greater than the total thickness of the at least one layer of photocurable material.

6. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises low surface roughness, wherein the surface roughness of the top surface of the plurality of relief printing dots is less than about 2000 nm.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the surface roughness of the top surface of the plurality of relief printing dots is less than about 800 nm.

8. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises sufficient depth of relief between the relief printing dots, wherein the depth of relief between the relief printing dots is greater than about 9% of the overall plate relief.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the depth of relief between the relief printing dots is greater than about 12% of the overall plate relief.

10. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises edge sharpness of the relief printing dots, wherein the ratio of r e :p is less than 5%.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the ratio of r e :p is less than 2%.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer is selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxyalkyl cellulose, polyvinyl pyrrolidinone, copolymers of ethylene and vinyl acetate, amphoteric interpolymers, cellulose acetate butyrate, alkyl cellulose, butyral, cyclic rubbers, and combinations of one or more of the foregoing.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer has a thickness of between about 1 and 100 microns.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the barrier layer has a thickness of between about 1 and 20 microns.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer has an optical transparency of at least about 75%.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of developing the printing blank comprises:

a) softening non-crosslinked polymer on the imaged and exposed surface of the printing blank by contacting the image and exposed surface with an absorbent layer capable of absorbing non-crosslinked portions of the at least one photocurable layer when it has been heated to a temperature of between 40° and 200° C.,

b) heating said at least one layer of photocurable material to a temperature of between 40° and 200° C and allowing the non-crosslinked portions of the at least one photocurable layer in contact with the absorbent layer to be absorbed by said absorbent layer, and

c) removing said absorbent layer containing the non-crosslinked portion of the at least one photocurable layer, whereby the relief pattern is revealed.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the printing blank is not imaged in an inert environment.