Patent ID: 7966934

Claim:
A method of lithographically printing images on a receiving medium, comprising in order: (a) providing a lithographic printing plate comprising on a substrate a photosensitive layer, wherein said photosensitive layer comprises a polymer or compound capable of crosslinking with a crosslinking agent, a crosslinking agent capable of crosslinking with said polymer or compound in the presence of a Bronsted acid at elevated temperature, a photoacid generator and a sensitizing dye and is capable of hardening upon exposure to a laser having a wavelength selected from 200 to 1200 nm followed by heating, the non-hardened areas of said photosensitive layer are soluble or dispersible in ink and/or fountain solution, and said plate is free of any overcoat on said photosensitive layer; (b) activating the photosensitive layer by imagewise exposing said plate with said laser without hardening in the exposed areas so that such activated areas can be hardened upon heating; (c) hardening the exposed areas of the photosensitive layer by overall heating said plate to an elevated temperature, without causing hardening of the non-exposed areas; (d) developing said plate with ink and/or fountain solution on a lithographic press to remove the non-hardened areas of said photosensitive layer; and (e) lithographically printing images from said plate to the receiving medium.