Production of gravure printing plates having plastic printing layers

Abstract

Gravure printing plates comprising a plastic printing layer applied on a printing plate base are produced by a method wherein a solid photosensitive layer (L) firmly bonded on the printing plate base is exposed imagewise to actinic light, and the exposed layer is washed out with a developer and then subjected to thermal hardening to form the plastic printing layer. In this process, the photosensitive layer (L) employed contains, as the photosensitive component, a compound possessing two or more aromatic and/or heteroaromatic o-nitrocarbinol ester groups, and a compound which effects crosslinking and possesses two or more reactive groups which are capable of reacting with --COOH groups under the action of heat to form a covalent chemical bond. After imagewise exposure, the layer is either washed out with an aqueous developer, post-exposed uniformly to actinic light and then subjected to thermal hardening and crosslinking, or subjected to selective thermal hardening and crosslinking in the exposed areas and then washed out with a developer.