Method for smoother tonal response in flexographic printing

An imaging system for producing a mask for making a flexographic plate, the imaging system comprising:

• a laser source configured to expose portions of a mask to radiation corresponding to discrete imaged elements corresponding to equally sized spots identified in an imaging data file, the laser source having an adjustable laser power for modulating a size of the laser beam for exposing the imaged elements on the mask;
• a controller, comprising a processor configured to receive and convert imaging data into operating instructions for the laser source, the imaging data comprising image information corresponding to ink-carrying and non-ink-carrying portions of the plate, the ink-carrying portions comprising a plurality of ink-carrying elements, the imaging data comprising a base pattern comprised of the spots superimposed on the image information, each spot corresponding to an imaged or non-imaged discrete element represented on the mask, wherein each spot corresponding to an imaged discrete element in the base pattern is surrounded by eight spots corresponding to non-imaged discrete elements, wherein the spots corresponding to the imaged and non-imaged elements are aligned to a grid defined by an imaging resolution of an imager, the controller configured to create the mask by, in at least a portion of the mask corresponding to a non-solid tonal area of the plate, exposing or ablating each imaged discrete element with the laser beam, the size of the laser beam causing each set of four neighboring imaged discrete elements to have an unexposed or unablated area centered therebetween, wherein the unexposed or unablated area resolves to a region on a surface of the plate having a level below an uppermost level but above a non-printing level and each of the four neighboring imaged discrete elements resolves to the uppermost level.