A flexographic printing plate includes at least one halftone printing area with a plurality of halftone dots. A halftone dot of said plurality of halftone dots is shaped as a relief area. Said relief area includes a central portion and a surrounding portion. Said central portion has a central dot floor with a first pattern of a plurality of pins protruding upwardly from the central dot floor. Said surrounding portion protrudes upwardly from the central dot floor and has a top side including a second pattern of a plurality of recesses. The first pattern and second pattern are such that the surrounding portion can be distinguished from the central portion.

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 μm or more and 10 μm or less, and a specific surface area of 350 m.sup.2/g or more and 1000 m.sup.2/g or less.

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 μm or more and 10 μm or less, and a specific surface area of 350 m.sup.2/g or more and 1000 m.sup.2/g or less.

An article with an operative liquid-bearing surface is adapted for transferring that liquid to a substrate material or printing plate. The entire operative surface of the article is provided with a pattern of microscopic discrete depressions which are usually laser-engraved into the surface so that a substantially continuous wall structure remains which surrounds and defines the depressions. In particular the depressions are of a cross-sectional shape which is symmetrical about one or both of a lateral and a medial axis perpendicular thereto, and arranged adjacent one another in offset fashion, and above and below one another so that the pattern thus formed is substantially uniform and repeating. Each of at least one of the pairs of lateral or medial sidewalls of any one depression are contoured, the contour of one of the pair being generally the mirror image of the other.

An article with an operative liquid-bearing surface is adapted for transferring that liquid to a substrate material or printing plate. The entire operative surface of the article is provided with a pattern of microscopic discrete depressions which are usually laser-engraved into the surface so that a substantially continuous wall structure remains which surrounds and defines the depressions. In particular the depressions are of a cross-sectional shape which is symmetrical about one or both of a lateral and a medial axis perpendicular thereto, and arranged adjacent one another in offset fashion, and above and below one another so that the pattern thus formed is substantially uniform and repeating. Each of at least one of the pairs of lateral or medial sidewalls of any one depression are contoured, the contour of one of the pair being generally the mirror image of the other.

The invention relates to an exposure apparatus (1) for exposing plate-shaped materials (2). The plate-shaped material (2) has a first side (3) and a second side (4) that lies opposite the first side (3). The exposure apparatus (1) comprises a first exposure unit (10) and a conveyor unit (30), wherein the first exposure unit (10) comprises at least one segment with a light source and has an embodiment so as to be rotatable about an axis (14), and the first exposure unit (10) and the conveyor unit (30) are configured in such a way that the first side (3) of the plate-shaped material (2) is supplied for an exposure in a first position (11) of the exposure unit (10) and the second side (4) of the plate-shaped material (2) is supplied for an exposure in a second position (12) of the exposure unit (10). Further aspects of the invention relate to methods for exposing plate-shaped material and a printing plate that was produced from a plate-shaped material according to any one of the methods.

The invention relates to an exposure apparatus (1) for exposing plate-shaped materials (2). The plate-shaped material (2) has a first side (3) and a second side (4) that lies opposite the first side (3). The exposure apparatus (1) comprises a first exposure unit (10) and a conveyor unit (30), wherein the first exposure unit (10) comprises at least one segment with a light source and has an embodiment so as to be rotatable about an axis (14), and the first exposure unit (10) and the conveyor unit (30) are configured in such a way that the first side (3) of the plate-shaped material (2) is supplied for an exposure in a first position (11) of the exposure unit (10) and the second side (4) of the plate-shaped material (2) is supplied for an exposure in a second position (12) of the exposure unit (10). Further aspects of the invention relate to methods for exposing plate-shaped material and a printing plate that was produced from a plate-shaped material according to any one of the methods.

Flexographic printing members amenable to aqueous (or organic) development do not exhibit the deleterious effects on printing performance characteristic of some conventional alternatives. Embodiments of the invention utilize a photopolymerizable layer comprising, consisting of, or consisting essentially of a photopolymerization initiator and a water-dilutable (but not water-soluble) monomer.

Flexographic printing members amenable to aqueous (or organic) development do not exhibit the deleterious effects on printing performance characteristic of some conventional alternatives. Embodiments of the invention utilize a photopolymerizable layer comprising, consisting of, or consisting essentially of a photopolymerization initiator and a water-dilutable (but not water-soluble) monomer.

Methods for producing cylindrical flexographic printing elements, the cylindrical flexographic printing elements having a relief-forming layer, and the relief-forming layer being produced by successive application of a plurality of layers of a relief-forming material in liquid melt form, preferably of a photopolymerizable material in liquid melt form, to a rotating cylindrical sleeve in a continuous process.