Patent ID: 6905812

Claim:
A method of producing a printing form from a printing form precursor, the method comprising: (a) providing a positive working printing form precursor having a thermally imageable coating on a substrate, wherein the precursor is prepared by: (i) applying to the substrate a composition in a solvent, wherein the composition includes a phenolic resin, and (ii) subsequently removing solvent to leave an imageable coating on the substrate, such that the weight of the imageable coating on the substrate is less than 1.1 gm −2 ; (b) following a period of at least 6 days after the precursor is prepared, exposing selected areas of the coating to heat, thereby rendering the exposed areas preferentially soluble in a developer solution, with the proviso that the precursor is not subjected to heat treatment after being prepared and prior to exposing; and (c) developing the precursor in the developer solution to remove the exposed areas, wherein the developer solubility of the unexposed areas at the time of exposing is not significantly changed, as compared to the developer solubility of unexposed areas for an identically prepared precursor exposed after a period of only one day following preparation.