Patent ID: 8146495

Claim:
A lithographic printing plate imaging and deactivation assembly comprising: (a) an imager capable of imagewise exposing a lithographic plate with a laser having a wavelength selected from 200 to 1200 nm; (b) a lithographic printing plate having on a substrate a photosensitive layer capable of hardening upon exposure to said laser as well as under white room light; (c) a deactivating solution and a structure for providing said deactivating solution to deactivate without developing said plate; wherein said deactivating solution is an acidic aqueous solution with a pH of less than 4.0, and the non-hardened areas of said photosensitive layer are capable of hardening under white light before contacting with said solution and becoming incapable of hardening under white light after contacting with said solution; and (d) a means for transporting said plate to said imager for imagewise exposure, then to said structure for deactivation, and further to the exit of said assembly as an exposed plate which is deactivated without development.