MULTIBEAM EXPOSURE SCANNING METHOD AND APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING PRINTING PLATE

This invention is concerning a multibeam exposure scanning method and apparatus, and a method of manufacturing a printing plate. The problem to be solved is that the influence of the heat from adjacent beams accompanying multibeam exposure is effectively reduced, and a desired shape having a very small size is formed with high precision. The above problem is to be solved by a multi-beam exposure scanning method for engraving a surface of a recording medium by emitting a plurality of beams simultaneously from an exposure head to the recording medium, the exposure head having N levels (N being an integer equal to or greater than 2) of emitting outlet rows each having emitting outlets arranged at intervals of P in a sub scanning direction, the N levels being arranged at regular intervals in a main scanning direction perpendicular to the sub scanning direction, the respective levels being arranged so that respective projected emitting outlets are located at intervals of P/N when the respective emitting outlets are projected in the main scanning direction. The multibeam exposure scanning method includes: scanning the recording medium in the main scanning direction N times with the exposure head; and emitting beams to a first area from only the emitting outlet row of one level while sequentially switching the levels to emit beams for each main scanning operation, where the surface of the recording medium is divided into a target flat area to be maintained without engraving, the first area to be engraved with precision, and a second area that is the remaining area.