A thermal development apparatus for removing non-crosslinked polymer or monomer from a first surface of a flexographic plate comprises a moving assembly which moves the plate along a predetermined trajectory. A development operating assembly applies an absorbent material to the first surface during movement thereof, and comprises feeding means of the absorbent material and heating means for heating the first surface to a temperature sufficient to melt at least a portion of the non-crosslinked polymer/monomer. A second operating assembly comprises contact means configured to cause a contact between the absorbent material and the first surface to allow the melted polymer/monomer to be absorbed by the absorbent material. A cooling assembly cools the plate at an operating position downstream of the operating position at which the absorbent material contacts the first surface, wherein the operating positions are considered with respect to the predetermined trajectory along which the plate is moved.

A thermal development apparatus for removing non-crosslinked polymer or monomer from a first surface of a flexographic plate comprises a moving assembly which moves the plate along a predetermined trajectory. A development operating assembly applies an absorbent material to the first surface during movement thereof, and comprises feeding means of the absorbent material and heating means for heating the first surface to a temperature sufficient to melt at least a portion of the non-crosslinked polymer/monomer. A second operating assembly comprises contact means configured to cause a contact between the absorbent material and the first surface to allow the melted polymer/monomer to be absorbed by the absorbent material. A cooling assembly cools the plate at an operating position downstream of the operating position at which the absorbent material contacts the first surface, wherein the operating positions are considered with respect to the predetermined trajectory along which the plate is moved.

A thermal development apparatus for removing non-crosslinked polymer or monomer from a surface of a flexographic plate comprises a moving assembly which moves the plate along a predetermined trajectory. The moving assembly comprises a support cylinder which includes a cylindrical body that develops around a longitudinal axis, wherein the support cylinder further includes a cover layer which partially covers an outermost surface of the cylindrical body and defines a support surface for the plate. The moving assembly also comprises a plurality of connecting pins connected, directly or indirectly, to the outermost surface of the cylindrical body at a cutoff region of the cover layer, wherein the pins are aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis and wherein, for each pin, the radial distance between the longitudinal axis and a free end of the pin is less than the radial distance between the longitudinal axis and the defined support surface.

A thermal development apparatus for removing non-crosslinked polymer or monomer from a surface of a flexographic plate comprises a moving assembly which moves the plate along a predetermined trajectory. The moving assembly comprises a support cylinder which includes a cylindrical body that develops around a longitudinal axis, wherein the support cylinder further includes a cover layer which partially covers an outermost surface of the cylindrical body and defines a support surface for the plate. The moving assembly also comprises a plurality of connecting pins connected, directly or indirectly, to the outermost surface of the cylindrical body at a cutoff region of the cover layer, wherein the pins are aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis and wherein, for each pin, the radial distance between the longitudinal axis and a free end of the pin is less than the radial distance between the longitudinal axis and the defined support surface.

Provided are a functional cylinder body, including a plurality of layers having magnetic patterns and non-magnetic patterns formed adjacently, and a manufacturing method therefor. The functional cylinder body comprises at least: a cylinder main body; a first functional pattern part, which includes first patterns and first functional patterns, the first patterns having first recess patterns and first non-recess patterns formed by forming recesses on a first material layer made of any one of a magnetic material and a non-magnetic material, the first functional patterns being made of any one of the magnetic material and the non-magnetic material embedded in the first recess patterns; and a second functional pattern part, which is formed in a position of the cylinder main body shallower than a position of the first recess patterns and has magnetic patterns of the magnetic material and non-magnetic patterns of the non-magnetic material formed adjacently.

Provided are a functional cylinder body, including a plurality of layers having magnetic patterns and non-magnetic patterns formed adjacently, and a manufacturing method therefor. The functional cylinder body comprises at least: a cylinder main body; a first functional pattern part, which includes first patterns and first functional patterns, the first patterns having first recess patterns and first non-recess patterns formed by forming recesses on a first material layer made of any one of a magnetic material and a non-magnetic material, the first functional patterns being made of any one of the magnetic material and the non-magnetic material embedded in the first recess patterns; and a second functional pattern part, which is formed in a position of the cylinder main body shallower than a position of the first recess patterns and has magnetic patterns of the magnetic material and non-magnetic patterns of the non-magnetic material formed adjacently.

Provided is a flexo printing plate which makes it possible to perform printing in which the discontinuity of density is not visually recognized by inhibiting the enlargement of halftone dots in the boundary between an image area having a low halftone dot rate and a non-image area. The flexo printing plate has a constitution in which the image area has a highlight halftone dot area having a halftone dot rate higher than 0% and equal to or lower than 10%, and within the highlight halftone dot area, among small dots constituting the highlight halftone dot area, at least one of the small dots adjacent to the non-image area that continues 10 mm or further from the edge of the highlight halftone dot area in a direction orthogonal to the edge has a distal end diameter smaller than the average of distal end diameters of the small dots in the highlight halftone dot area.

A method of making a relief image printing element from a photosensitive printing blank is provided. A photosensitive printing blank with a laser ablatable layer disposed on at least one photocurable layer is ablated with a laser to create an in situ mask. The printing blank is then exposed to at least one source of actinic radiation through the in situ mask to selectively cross link and cure portions of the photo curable layer. Diffusion of oxygen into the at least one photocurable layer is limited during the exposing step and preferably at least one of the type, power and incident angle of illumination of the at least one source of actinic radiation is altered during the exposure step. The resulting relief image comprises dots and a dot shape that provide optimal print performance on various substrates, including corrugated board.

A method of making a relief image printing element from a photosensitive printing blank is provided. A photosensitive printing blank with a laser ablatable layer disposed on at least one photocurable layer is ablated with a laser to create an in situ mask. The printing blank is then exposed to at least one source of actinic radiation through the in situ mask to selectively cross link and cure portions of the photo curable layer. Diffusion of oxygen into the at least one photocurable layer is limited during the exposing step and preferably at least one of the type, power and incident angle of illumination of the at least one source of actinic radiation is altered during the exposure step. The resulting relief image comprises dots and a dot shape that provide optimal print performance on various substrates, including corrugated board.

A method of making a relief image printing element from a photosensitive printing blank is provided. A photosensitive printing blank with a laser ablatable layer disposed on at least one photocurable layer is ablated with a laser to create an in situ mask. The printing blank is then exposed to at least one source of actinic radiation through the in situ mask to selectively cross link and cure portions of the photocurable layer. Diffusion of air into the at least one photocurable layer is limited during the exposing step and preferably at least one of the type, power and incident angle of illumination of the at least one source of actinic radiation is altered during the exposure step. The resulting relief image comprises a plurality of dots and a dot shape of the plurality of dots that provide optimal print performance on various substrates, including corrugated board.