Process and material for producing IR imaged gravure cylinders

A method for preparing a gravure printing surface, comprising the steps of:

• providing a printing blank comprising:
• metallic surface;
• a pre-polymer layer covering said metallic surface, comprising UV curable materials, photo intiators and binder resins;
• and a photo-tool layer covering said pre-polymer layer;
• ablation imaging said photo-tool layer with IR radiation to form a UV mask;
• exposing said printing blank to UV radiation through said imaged photo-tool, thereby polymerizing the areas imaged in said step of imaging;
• washing said printing blank to remove non-ablated and non-polymerized areas;
• depositing metal onto said washed areas, thereby forming calls of said gravure printing blank;
• and
• removing said pre-polymer layer from within said cells.