Flexographic printing plate process

A process for producing a flexographic printing plate comprising providing a relief imageable element comprising a flexible substrate having on at least one surface thereof a radiation hardenable composition in a thickness of at least 0.3 mm, imagewise irradiating said composition to harden the composition in irradiated areas, contacting said imagewise irradiated layer with an absorbent layer which can absorb unirradiated composition when it has been heated between 40.degree. and 200.degree. C., heating said composition layer so that it is at a temperature between 40.degree. and 200.degree. C. while in contact with said absorbent layer, said temperature being sufficiently high to enable said composition in unirradiated areas to flow into said absorbent layer, allowing at least 75% of said composition in unirradiated areas in contact with said absorbent layer to be absorbed by said absorbent layer, and removing said absorbent layer and said at least 75% of composition from unirradiated areas from said flexible substrate, said process further comprising the step of irradiating said hardenable composition layer with ionizing radiation through said substrate to harden at least some hardenable composition adjacent to said flexible substrate, but less than all of said hardenable composition.