Printing plate preparation process

Abstract

Disclosed is a process which comprises (a) providing a migration imaging member which comprises a substrate and a softenable layer comprising a softenable material and a photosensitive migration marking material; (b) providing a printing plate precursor which comprises a base layer and a layer of photosensitive material selected from the group consisting of photohardenable materials and photosoftenable materials; (c) placing the softenable layer of the migration imaging member in contact with the layer of photosensitive material of the printing plate precursor and applying heat and pressure to the migration imaging member and printing plate precursor, thereby causing the softenable layer of the migration imaging member to adhere to the layer of photosensitive material of the printing plate precursor; (d) uniformly charging the migration imaging member; (e) subsequent to step (d), exposing the charged imaging member to activating radiation at a wavelength to which the migration marking material is sensitive; (f) subsequent to step (e), causing the softenable material to soften and enabling the migration marking material to migrate through the softenable material in an imagewise pattern, thereby resulting in the layer of softenable material becoming transmissive to light in areas where the migration marking material has migrated and remaining nontransmissive to light in areas where the migration marking material has not migrated; (g) subsequent to step (f), uniformly exposing the migration imaging member and the printing plate precursor to radiation at a wavelength to which the photosensitive material on the printing plate precursor is sensitive, thereby causing the photosensitive material on the printing plate precursor to harden or soften in areas situated contiguous with light-transmissive areas of the softenable layer, thereby forming an imaged printing plate; and (h) subsequent to step (g), removing the migration imaging member from the imaged printing plate.