Laser ablatable photosensitive elements utilized to make flexographic printing plates

A process for making a flexographic printing plate, which comprises:

• (1) providing a photosensitive element comprising, in the order listed;
• (a) a support;
• (b) a photopolymerizable layer comprising an elastomeric binder;
• at least one monomer and an initiator having sensitivity to non-infrared actinic radiation, said layer being swellable, soluble, or dispersible in a developer solution;
• (c) at least one barrier layer which is transparent to non-infrared actinic radiation;
• and
• (d) at least one layer of infrared radiation sensitive material which is opaque to non-infrared actinic radiation and is ablatable from the surface of the barrier layer upon exposure to infrared laser radiation;
• (2) imagewise ablating exposed areas of layer (d) with infrared laser radiation to form a mask in areas not exposed to said laser radiation;
• (3) overall exposing the photosensitive element to actinic radiation through the mask;
• and
• (4) treating the product of step (3) with at least one developer solution to remove (i) the infrared-sensitive material which was not removed during step (2), (ii) at least the areas of the barrier layer which were not exposed to non-infrared actinic radiation, and (iii) the areas of the photopolymerizable layer (b) which were not exposed to non-infrared actinic radiation.