Patent ID: 6902865

Claim:
A method of processing a lithographic printing plate, comprising in order: (a) providing a lithographic plate comprising (i) a hydrophilic substrate; and (ii) an oleophilic thermosensitive layer comprising an aqueous alkaline-insoluble polymer, a (meth)acrylate monomer, a free-radical initiator, and an infrared absorbing dye; wherein said monomer-to-polymer weight ratio is larger than 1.0, and said thermosensitive layer is capable of hardening upon exposure to an infrared laser and developable with an aqueous developer comprising at least 60-90% by weight of water and 1 to 30% by weight of an alcohol solvent and having a pH of 4.0 to 8.0; (b) imagewise exposing the plate with said infrared laser to cause hardening of the thermosensitive layer in the exposed areas; and (c) developing the exposed plate with said aqueous developer to remove the non-hardened areas of the thermosensitive layer.