A flexographic printing plate precursor is disclosed in which the size and the number of pinholes in a heat-sensitive mask layer are reduced in a simple manner, and to provide a flexographic printing plate almost free from disadvantages caused by the pinholes, based on the flexographic printing plate precursor. A flexographic printing plate precursor comprising at least a support (A), a photosensitive resin layer (B), a heat-sensitive mask layer (C) and a cover film (D) which are laminated in this order, characterized in that the surface energy and the surface roughness (Ra) of a surface of the cover film (D) which contacts with the heat-sensitive mask layer (C) are 25.0 to 40.0 mN/m and 0.01 to 0.2 μm, respectively, and that a protection layer (E) formed from a polymer compound dispersible in a developing solution is provided between the photosensitive resin layer (B) and the heat-sensitive mask layer (C).

A plate making system comprises a writing device, an exposure device, a developing device, a plate cutting device, a first transfer device, a second transfer device and a third transfer device in an integrated manner. The plate making system also comprises a control device that controls a series of plate making processes for a flexographic printing original plate performed by the writing device, the exposure device, the developing device and the plate cutting device.

Provided are a planographic printing plate precursor including a support, and an image recording layer on the support, in which the image recording layer contains an infrared absorbing agent, a polymerization initiator, and a core-shell particle, a core portion of the core-shell particle contains a resin A containing a functional group A, and a shell portion of the core-shell particle contains a resin B containing a functional group B that is bondable to or interactable with the functional group A and a dispersion group; a method of preparing a planographic printing plate using the planographic printing plate precursor; and a planographic printing method carried out using the planographic printing plate precursor.

Provided are a planographic printing plate precursor including a support, and an image recording layer on the support, in which the image recording layer contains an infrared absorbing agent, a polymerization initiator, and a core-shell particle, a core portion of the core-shell particle contains a resin A containing a functional group A, and a shell portion of the core-shell particle contains a resin B containing a functional group B that is bondable to or interactable with the functional group A and a dispersion group; a method of preparing a planographic printing plate using the planographic printing plate precursor; and a planographic printing method carried out using the planographic printing plate precursor.

A method of producing a photocured structure comprising a backing layer for coupling to a relief image printing plate or as an integral all-in-one structure comprising a backing layer and a relief image printing layer. The photocured structure may be formed using a continuous liquid interphase method or three-dimensional plating to selectively crosslink and cure a photocurable composition. The backing layer may comprise a lattice or series of openings of the lattice where the placement and density of the openings is controlled.

A method of producing a photocured structure comprising a backing layer for coupling to a relief image printing plate or as an integral all-in-one structure comprising a backing layer and a relief image printing layer. The photocured structure may be formed using a continuous liquid interphase method or three-dimensional plating to selectively crosslink and cure a photocurable composition. The backing layer may comprise a lattice or series of openings of the lattice where the placement and density of the openings is controlled.

The present invention provides a flexographic printing plate in which the dot gain of fine dots in a fade-out part is reduced and printability is improved. A flexographic printing plate obtained from a flexographic printing plate precursor comprising at least a support (A), a photosensitive resin layer (B) and a heat-sensitive mask layer (C) which are laminated in this order, characterized in that, when dots each having a diameter of 16 μm are formed at 175 lpi on the printing plate, the dots do not buckle until a load of 0.2 N is applied thereto. Preferably, when dots each having a diameter of 16 μm are formed at 175 lpi on the printing plate, the shoulder angle of each dot is 105 to 125° and the dot depth is 70 to 85 μm.

The present invention provides a flexographic printing plate in which the dot gain of fine dots in a fade-out part is reduced and printability is improved. A flexographic printing plate obtained from a flexographic printing plate precursor comprising at least a support (A), a photosensitive resin layer (B) and a heat-sensitive mask layer (C) which are laminated in this order, characterized in that, when dots each having a diameter of 16 μm are formed at 175 lpi on the printing plate, the dots do not buckle until a load of 0.2 N is applied thereto. Preferably, when dots each having a diameter of 16 μm are formed at 175 lpi on the printing plate, the shoulder angle of each dot is 105 to 125° and the dot depth is 70 to 85 μm.

A flexographic printing plate obtained from a flexographic printing plate precursor includes at least a support, a photosensitive resin layer and a heat-sensitive mask layer laminated in this order, wherein the composite elastic modulus of each dot is 30 to 80 Mpa and the composite elastic modulus of each solid-printed part is 5 to 15 MPa. A photosensitive resin composition constituting the photosensitive resin layer includes a polymer prepared by polymerizing a conjugated diene, an ethylenically unsaturated compound and a photopolymerization initiator, wherein the content of the photopolymerization initiator is 2 to 9% by mass, the ethylenically unsaturated compound includes a (meth)acrylate compound having a number average molecular weight of 100 to 600 in a content of 5 to 16% by mass, and the ratio of the mass of the photopolymerization initiator and the mass of the compound is within the range of 0.20 to 0.55.

A flexographic printing plate obtained from a flexographic printing plate precursor includes at least a support, a photosensitive resin layer and a heat-sensitive mask layer laminated in this order, wherein the composite elastic modulus of each dot is 30 to 80 Mpa and the composite elastic modulus of each solid-printed part is 5 to 15 MPa. A photosensitive resin composition constituting the photosensitive resin layer includes a polymer prepared by polymerizing a conjugated diene, an ethylenically unsaturated compound and a photopolymerization initiator, wherein the content of the photopolymerization initiator is 2 to 9% by mass, the ethylenically unsaturated compound includes a (meth)acrylate compound having a number average molecular weight of 100 to 600 in a content of 5 to 16% by mass, and the ratio of the mass of the photopolymerization initiator and the mass of the compound is within the range of 0.20 to 0.55.