Method of manufacturing a flexographic printing plate with support structures

1. A method of manufacturing a flexographic printing plate comprising:

designing a patterned design comprising a plurality of lines and a plurality of support structures; and

laser-ablating the patterned design into a thermal imaging layer,

wherein a support structure of the plurality of support structures is disposed at an offset from a line of the plurality of lines.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

laminating the thermal imaging layer to a flexographic printing plate substrate.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

exposing the flexographic printing plate substrate to UV radiation.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

removing the thermal imaging layer; and

developing the flexographic printing plate substrate.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

thermally baking the flexographic printing plate substrate;

curing the flexographic printing plate substrate; and

storing the flexographic printing plate substrate.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of support structures are isolated from the plurality of lines.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of support structures are isolated from each other.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the offset is in a range between 25 percent and 50 percent of a line-to-line spacing between at least two lines of the plurality of lines.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a support structure-to-support structure spacing between at least two support structures of the plurality of support structures corresponds to a spacing between two breaks in a line of the plurality of lines.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more support structures of the plurality of support structures are aligned with one or more breaks in a line of the plurality of lines.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein one or more support structures of the plurality of support structures have a length equal to a length of the one or more breaks.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more support structures of the plurality of support structures have a width equal to a width of one or more lines of the plurality of lines.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more lines of the plurality of lines have a width less than 5 micrometers.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more lines of the plurality of lines have a width in a range between 5 micrometers and 10 micrometers.

15. The method of claim 3 , wherein exposing comprises:

exposing a bottom side of the flexographic printing plate substrate to UV-A radiation; and

exposing a top side of the flexographic printing plate substrate to UV-A radiation through the thermal imaging layer.

16. The method of claim 3 , wherein exposing comprises:

exposing a bottom side of the flexographic printing plate substrate to UV-A radiation for a first exposure time;

exposing a top side of the flexographic printing plate substrate to UV-A radiation through the thermal imaging layer; and

exposing the bottom side of the flexographic printing plate substrate to UV-A radiation for a second exposure time,

wherein a sum of the first and second exposure times set a relief depth.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first exposure time is 50 percent of the sum of the first and second exposure times.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second exposure time is 50 percent of the sum of the first and second exposure times.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first exposure time is in a range between 10 percent and 90 percent of the sum of the first and second exposure times.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the second exposure time is in a range between 90 percent and 10 percent of the sum of the first and second exposure times.