Patent ID: 8889341

Claim:
A method for providing a lithographic printing plate, comprising: imagewise exposing a negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor that comprises a substrate, a negative-working radiation-sensitive imageable layer, and an aqueous solution soluble outermost layer to imaging radiation to provide exposed regions and non-exposed regions in the negative-working radiation-sensitive imageable layer, and removing the aqueous solution soluble outermost layer and the non-exposed regions of the negative-working radiation-sensitive imageable layer, wherein the negative-working radiation-sensitive imageable layer comprises a free radically polymerizable compound, a radiation absorber, a compound to generate free radicals upon irradiation, and a polymeric binder, and the aqueous solution soluble outermost layer comprising a first vinyl alcohol copolymer comprising at least one unit of each of the following (a), (b), and (c) recurring units, in any order: wherein R, R′, and R″ are independently hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R 1 is hydrogen or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R 2 represents a single connecting bond or a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene or cycloalkylene group, wherein the (c) recurring units are present in an amount of at least 0.5 mol %, based on the total recurring units in the first vinyl alcohol copolymer.