A gravure printing plate and a method of manufacturing a gravure printing plate, which are capable of increasing a density range as compared to the conventional case to enable suppression of moire as well as to achieve rich gradation and enable fine tone settings. The gravure printing plate includes FM screen cells and AM screen cells which are concurrently formed in a plate surface thereof, and the FM screen cells and the AM screen cells are different in depth. It is preferred that, of the cells which are different in depth, shallower cells correspond to subcells and deeper cells correspond to main cells.

A photosensitive resin constituent for a flexographic printing plate includes at least a support, a photosensitive resin composition layer, and a particle layer. The photosensitive resin composition layer contains a photosensitive resin composition containing a binder, a monomer, and a polymerization initiator. The particle layer contains a resin composition containing a binder having a crosslinkable group and a particle having a pore structure, and the particle having a pore structure has an average particle size of 1 m or more and 10 m or less, and a specific surface area of 350 m.sup.2/g or more and 1000 m.sup.2/g or less.

Flexographic printing members are prepared by developing an exposed flexographic printing member precursor with an aqueous flexographic developer. The aqueous flexographic developer comprises: a) a fatty acid composition consisting of one or more saturated or unsaturated fatty acids or alkali metal salts thereof, each saturated or unsaturated fatty acid or alkali metal salt thereof independently having 12 to 20 carbon atoms, the fatty acid composition being present in an amount of 0.25-2.0 weight %, and at least 85 weight % of the fatty acid composition is composed of one or more C.sub.18 mono- or poly-unsaturated fatty acids or alkali metal salts thereof; b) an aminopolycarboxylic acid or alkali metal salt thereof in an amount of 0.05-0.30 weight %; c) a buffer compound in an amount of 05-0.60 weight %; and d) water. Such aqueous flexographic developers can also be provided in concentrated form and appropriately diluted before or during use.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a sleeve printing plate capable of forming an image pattern which applies printing on an object to be printed by laser engraving without generating cracks and chippings in a printing plate made of a photosensitive resin. The method for manufacturing a sleeve printing plate by making a printing plate made of a photosensitive resin surround an outer peripheral surface of a circular cylindrical sleeve body and forming an image pattern on the printing plate by laser engraving includes the steps of: washing and cooling the printing plate with water; applying heating treatment to the printing plate at a predetermined temperature; and applying heat radiation treatment to the printing plate after the heating treatment.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a sleeve printing plate capable of forming an image pattern which applies printing on an object to be printed by laser engraving without generating cracks and chippings in a printing plate made of a photosensitive resin. The method for manufacturing a sleeve printing plate by making a printing plate made of a photosensitive resin surround an outer peripheral surface of a circular cylindrical sleeve body and forming an image pattern on the printing plate by laser engraving includes the steps of: washing and cooling the printing plate with water; applying heating treatment to the printing plate at a predetermined temperature; and applying heat radiation treatment to the printing plate after the heating treatment.

A method for fabricating a flexographic printing plate for printing image patterns including one or more uniform image regions includes defining a repeating tile having a plurality of different feature shapes positioned in a pattern of pseudo-random feature locations. A plate formation pattern corresponding to the image pattern is determined wherein the repeating tile is applied in a tiled arrangement to the uniform image regions. The plate formation pattern is used to form a flexographic printing plate, wherein regions of the flexographic printing plate corresponding to the uniform image regions of the image pattern include a pattern of raised features in positions corresponding to the feature positions in the repeating tile.

A method for fabricating a flexographic printing plate for printing image patterns including one or more uniform image regions includes defining a repeating tile having a plurality of different feature shapes positioned in a pattern of pseudo-random feature locations. A plate formation pattern corresponding to the image pattern is determined wherein the repeating tile is applied in a tiled arrangement to the uniform image regions. The plate formation pattern is used to form a flexographic printing plate, wherein regions of the flexographic printing plate corresponding to the uniform image regions of the image pattern include a pattern of raised features in positions corresponding to the feature positions in the repeating tile.

A method includes (i) preparing a printing original plate sheet having an uncured photosensitive resin layer on a surface thereof, wherein compressive strength of the uncured photosensitive resin layer at 25 C. is 1.0 to 3.0 kgf/cm.sup.2; (ii) mounting the printing original plate sheet around a cylindrical support in such a manner that a starting terminal of the mounting and an ending terminal of the mounting are overlapped; and (iii) applying pressure to the overlapped area of the starting terminal of the mounting and the ending terminal of the mounting at a temperature range of 10 to 40 C. so as to pressure-bond the overlapped area. The method may further include, after the step (iii), a step (iv) for photo-curing the uncured photosensitive resin layer and may further comprise, after the step (iv), a step (v) for grinding, abrading and/or machining the overlapped area.

A method includes (i) preparing a printing original plate sheet having an uncured photosensitive resin layer on a surface thereof, wherein compressive strength of the uncured photosensitive resin layer at 25 C. is 1.0 to 3.0 kgf/cm.sup.2; (ii) mounting the printing original plate sheet around a cylindrical support in such a manner that a starting terminal of the mounting and an ending terminal of the mounting are overlapped; and (iii) applying pressure to the overlapped area of the starting terminal of the mounting and the ending terminal of the mounting at a temperature range of 10 to 40 C. so as to pressure-bond the overlapped area. The method may further include, after the step (iii), a step (iv) for photo-curing the uncured photosensitive resin layer and may further comprise, after the step (iv), a step (v) for grinding, abrading and/or machining the overlapped area.

Provides is a seal surface carving apparatus capable of carving a seal surface using only a single attachment irrespective of a size of a stamp. A porous impression die having a seal surface to be carved is set on a dedicated attachment, and is loaded in a seal surface carving apparatus. A fitting projection fit to a bottom portion of the impression die is formed on the attachment, and impression dice having various sizes may be set. In addition, a slit hole extending in a conveyance direction is formed in an impression die setting portion of the attachment. Impression die size determination means of the seal surface carving apparatus determines a size of the impression die by detecting a position at which the impression die blocks the slit hole.