Method for preparing prepress color proof and intermediate receiver element and carrier plate useful therein

A method for preparing a prepress color proof in which colored images are successively transferred from donor elements to an intermediate receiver element by a process of lamination so as to form a multicolor image on said intermediate receiver element, said method comprising the steps of:

• A) providing an intermediate receiver element,
• B) providing at least two multilayer donor elements, each of which comprises:
• a support, and
• one or more layers on said support, at least one layer being a photosensitive imaging layer comprised of a photohardenable or phototackifiable composition whose tackifying temperature is selectively changeable by imagewise exposure of said donor element to activating radiation,
• each of said donor elements having dispersed throughout one or more of its layers, a colorant that undergoes imagewise transfer to said intermediate receiver element,
• C) imagewise exposing each of said donor elements to activating radiation, and
• D) transferring a color image in either exposed or unexposed areas of each of said donor elements, by:
• laminating at selected lamination temperature and pressure, in succession and register, each of said donor elements to said intermediate receiver element in a laminating device,
• followed by peeling each of said laminated donor elements from said intermediate receiver element,
• wherein said intermediate receiver element comprises a support, and an image receiving layer overlaying said support, said image receiving layer having a roughened outer surface characterized by a sufficient degree of roughness to impede flow of said transferred color image during lamination of each of said donor elements to said intermediate receiver element, thereby providing improved image resolution in said transferred color image,
• and wherein each of said donor elements and said intermediate receiver element are carried through said laminating device with a carrier plate,
• said carrier plate comprising a metallic, polymeric sheet, formica laminate or paper card stock substrate having on one surface thereof a thermoplastic adhesive coating, said adhesive coating having a glass transition temperature that is less than said lamination temperature but is sufficiently high to provide low surface tackiness at room temperature, and said adhesive coating also exhibiting sufficient surface tackiness at said lamination temperature to prevent irreversible dimensional change of said intermediate receiver element during said laminating step.