A photosensitive inorganic-organic thin film is prepared by a sol-gel method from nylon, N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide, tetraethoxysilane, 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, and 2-perfluorooctylethyltrimethoxysilane (17F) for use as a printing plate medium. A single-layered coating film containing fluorine formed on an aluminum substrate exhibits much higher rubbing durability than existing silicone-based plates, and a low surface free energy of 16.5 mJ m(-2) despite the low 17F content. The surface of the thin film was characterized by contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy These analyses reveal that the mechanism of ink repellency on the printing plate was the migration of the fluorinated component to the surface of the thin film. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.