Patent ID: 8071274

Claim:
A method of lithographically printing images on a receiving medium, comprising in order: (a) providing a lithographic plate comprising (i) a substrate, and (ii) a photosensitive layer; said photosensitive layer being soluble or dispersible in ink and/or fountain solution and capable of hardening upon exposure to a radiation having a wavelength selected from 200 to 1200 nm; (b) imagewise exposing said plate with said radiation to cause hardening of said photosensitive layer in the exposed areas, so as to form hardened areas in the exposed areas and non-hardened areas in the non-exposed areas; (c) contacting said plate off press with an aqueous treating solution without developing said photosensitive layer; wherein said aqueous treating solution comprises from 40 to 99% by weight of water and from 0.2 to 60% by weight of an organic solvent; (d) developing said plate with ink and/or fountain solution on a lithographic press to remove the photosensitive layer in the non-hardened areas; and (e) lithographically printing images from said plate to the receiving medium.