Washout processor and washing method

Abstract

There are provided a washout processor and a washing method that suppress generation of a brush mark and that suppress generation of development unevenness. There is provided a washout processor that develops an imagewise exposed flexographic printing plate precursor using a washing solution with a developing brush, the washout processor including a development unit that performs development using the washing solution by simultaneously performing circular movement and linear reciprocation of the developing brush on the flexographic printing plate precursor, in which the circular movement and the linear reciprocation of the developing brush by the development unit satisfy at least one of the following condition (a) or (b). Condition (a) In a case where a stop time in a case of switching between directions of the linear reciprocation of the developing brush is t seconds and a rotation speed of the circular movement of the developing brush is R times per second, t<R is satisfied. Condition (b) In a case where the number of times of linear reciprocation per unit time in the linear reciprocation of the developing brush is f times per second and the rotation speed of the circular movement of the developing brush is R times per second, f<R is satisfied.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.