Patent ID: 7752966

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 capable of hardening upon exposure to a laser having a wavelength selected from 750 to 1200 nm and soluble or dispersible in ink and/or fountain solution; (b) imagewise exposing said plate with the laser to cause hardening of the photosensitive layer in the exposed areas; (c) overall applying to said exposed plate a radiation that has a different wavelength or different wavelengths from the laser and does not cause hardening of the photosensitive layer, to deactivate the photosensitive layer; and (d) developing said deactivated plate with ink and/or fountain solution on a lithographic press to remove the photosensitive layer in the non-hardened areas and to lithographically print images from said plate to the receiving medium.