Patent ID: 8524442

Claim:
A method of exposing a photosensitive printing blank to actinic radiation in a printing plate manufacturing process, wherein the photosensitive printing blank comprises a backing layer, at least one photocurable layer disposed on the backing layer, and a laser ablatable mask layer disposed on the at least one photocurable layer, wherein the laser ablatable mask layer is laser ablated to create an in situ negative in the laser ablatable mask layer, the method comprising the steps of: a) laminating an oxygen barrier layer to a top of the laser ablated mask layer using heat and pressure; b) conveying the photosensitive printing blank into an exposing unit, wherein said exposing unit is capable of crosslinking and curing portions of the at least one photocurable layer not covered by the laser ablated mask layer and creating a crosslinked floor layer in the at least one photocurable layer; and c) at least substantially simultaneously (i) exposing the at least one photocurable layer to actinic radiation from a first source of actinic radiation through the laser ablated mask layer and the oxygen barrier layer to selectively crosslink and cure portions of the at least one photocurable layer not covered by the mask layer, and (ii) exposing the at least one photocurable layer to actinic radiation from a second source of actinic radiation through the backing layer to create a crosslinked floor layer in the photocurable layer.