A method for heat treatment of printing plates includes arranging a plurality of printing plates into a stack, interspersing a plurality of thermally conductive plates at a plurality of levels in the stack, and placing the stack of plurality of printing plates with the interspersed conductive plates in an ambient of heated medium, wherein the conductive plates are larger laterally than the printing plates such that portions of the top and bottom surfaces of the conductive plates are exposed to the ambient of heated medium and thereby collect and conduct heat into the interior regions of the stack where the conductive plates are in thermal contact with, heating the interior regions up at a higher rate than would be achieved without the conductive plates in place.