Patent ID: 8486607

Claim:
A method of making a relief printing image comprising: providing a relief printing precursor that is a flexographic printing precursor that is in the form of a flexographic printing plate, sleeve, or cylinder precursor, the relief printing precursor comprising at least: a first radiation-sensitive layer that comprises a radiation-sensitive composition that is sensitive to and curable by a first imaging radiation comprising a first λ max , a second radiation-sensitive layer disposed on said first radiation-sensitive laver, wherein said second radiation-sensitive layer that comprises a radiation-sensitive composition is sensitive to and curable by a second imaging radiation comprising a second λ max that differs from said first λ max by at least 25 nm, wherein the second radiation-sensitive layer is insensitive to the first imaging radiation comprising a first λ max , and an infrared radiation ablatable layer disposed on said second radiation-sensitive layer, said ablatable layer being opaque to said first and second imaging radiations and comprising an infrared radiation absorbing compound, imagewise exposing the relief printing precursor to infrared radiation ablative energy to form a mask image in the infrared radiation ablatable layer, subsequently or simultaneously with the imagewise exposing, exposing the relief printing precursor to a second imaging radiation through the mask image, modifying the mask image using additional infrared radiation ablative energy to form a modified mask image, and subsequently exposing the relief printing precursor to a first imaging radiation through the modified mask image.