a method for adjusting variable illumination parameters of a laser imagesetter including laser power , focus adjustment , scan rate , and / or feed rate during the illumination of a photosensitive material , in particular , during illumination tests , includes the steps of reducing the time taken and the workload for determining the correct imagesetter setting by calculating at least some of the illumination parameters , prior to the adjustment , based upon imagesetter - independent characteristic data including material thickness , material sensitivity , material - specific test patterns , and / or material - specific evaluation criteria of the photosensitive material to be illuminated , and , subsequently , adjusting the calculated illumination parameters automatically .