A laser imageable flexographic printing plate precursor comprises a
thermoset elastomeric upper layer that is at least partially ablatable
and comprises a radiation sensitive compound, and a non-ablatable
elastomeric underlayer. This flexographic printing plate precursor can be
imaged to provide a printing plate that is primarily useful for "high
quality" printing because the resulting relief image is generally not
greater than 600 .mu.m and has an extremely even "floor". The imaged
flexographic printing plate also can have a high visual contrast between
the imaged areas and the non-imaged background areas.