Please replace the Abstract of the Disclosure originally filed with the above-identified patent application with the following amended Abstract of the Disclosure:

Thermoplastic polymer particles including at least one polymer including monomeric units derived from the monomers selected from ethylene, (vinyl)chloride, methyl(meth)acrylate, ethyl (meth)acrylate, vinylidene chloride, (meth)acrylonitrile, vinylcarbazole and/or styrene, characterized in that the polymer further includes at least one monomeric unit including an oxalylamido moiety.

Provided is a positive type photosensitive resin composition including: a polymer compound which contains, in a main chain thereof, a sulfonamide group and a structure represented by Formula A-1; and an infrared absorbent. In Formula A-1, X represents NR.sup.1, S, or O, R.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, and each symbol * independently represents a bonding position with respect to another structure.

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Flexographic printing members are prepared from a flexographic printing plate precursor consisting essentially of: backing film, water- or water-dispersible photosensitive layer, and cover sheet in contact with the photosensitive layer. The cover sheet is removed and a mask element is laminated directly in contact with the photosensitive layer. Exposure through the mask element provides exposed regions and non-exposed regions. The non-exposed regions are removed with an aqueous developer having: a) a C.sub.12-20 saturated or unsaturated fatty acid (or alkali metal salt) at 0.25-2.0 weight %, and at least 85 weight % of a C.sub.18 mono- or poly-unsaturated fatty acid (or alkali metal salt); b) an aminopolycarboxylic acid (or alkali metal salt) at 0.05-0.30 weight %; c) a buffer at 05-0.60 weight %; and d) water. The photosensitive layer has a controlled release of 5-500 g/cm using ASTM D-3330 Method D, between its front imaging surface and the mask element.

A planographic printing plate precursor having an image recording layer on a support, and an overcoat layer in this order, in which the overcoat layer includes particles, the overcoat layer is an outermost layer, and an occupation area ratio of the particles in a surface of the overcoat layer is 30% by area or more; and a method of producing a planographic printing plate obtained by using the planographic printing plate precursor.

Provided is a method of producing a planographic printing plate, including: subjecting a planographic printing plate precursor, which has a support and a positive-working image recording layer, to image-wise exposure; and developing it using an alkaline aqueous solution which contains a specific compound and has a pH of from 8.5 to 10.8, in this order. The recording layer has: a lower layer containing a water-insoluble and alkali-soluble resin and an infrared ray absorbing agent; and an upper layer containing a water-insoluble and alkali-soluble polyurethane resin and a polyorganosiloxane. The specific compound is a nonionic or anionic surfactant, or at least one compound represented by Formula (1) or (2), wherein R.sup.11, R.sup.12, and R.sup.13 each represent an alkyl group; R.sup.14 represents an alkylene group; and R.sup.15 represents a single bond or a divalent linking group containing a hetero atom; and R.sup.21, R.sup.22, and R.sup.23 each represent an alkyl group. ##STR00001##

Provided is a method of producing a planographic printing plate, including: subjecting a planographic printing plate precursor, which has a support and a positive-working image recording layer, to image-wise exposure; and developing it using an alkaline aqueous solution which contains a specific compound and has a pH of from 8.5 to 10.8, in this order. The recording layer has: a lower layer containing a water-insoluble and alkali-soluble resin and an infrared ray absorbing agent; and an upper layer containing a water-insoluble and alkali-soluble polyurethane resin and a polyorganosiloxane. The specific compound is a nonionic or anionic surfactant, or at least one compound represented by Formula (1) or (2), wherein R.sup.11, R.sup.12, and R.sup.13 each represent an alkyl group; R.sup.14 represents an alkylene group; and R.sup.15 represents a single bond or a divalent linking group containing a hetero atom; and R.sup.21, R.sup.22, and R.sup.23 each represent an alkyl group. ##STR00001##

A planographic printing plate precursor includes: a hydrophilic support; and an image recording layer which contains an organic-inorganic hybrid particle (A) and an infrared-ray absorbent (B) on the hydrophilic support, and the organic-inorganic hybrid particle (A) is an organic-inorganic hybrid particle in which an inorganic particle (a) containing a hydroxyl group and an organic component (b) are linked to each other through a linking group (c) having a urethane bond or a urea bond.

Provided is a positive type planographic printing plate precursor including: a support; and an image recording layer provided on the support, in which the image recording layer contains: a phenol compound containing a phenolic hydroxyl group and a substituent A represented by CH.sub.2OR in a molecule thereof, and having a molecular weight of from 200 to 2,000; a polymer having at least one selected from the group consisting of a urea bond and a urethane bond in a main chain thereof; and an infrared absorbent.

Provided are: a positive type photosensitive resin composition including a polyester containing a sulfonamide group in a main chain thereof, and an infrared absorbent; a positive type planographic printing plate precursor obtained by using the positive type photosensitive resin composition; and a method of producing a planographic printing plate.

A positive-working lithographic printing plate precursor includes a coating optimized for producing a minimum extent of ablation when exposed to heat and/or light. The coating includes an infrared absorbing agent which contains a structural element according to Formula I:

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wherein A represents SR.sup.1 wherein R.sup.1 represents an optionally substituted alkyl, aralkyl, alkaryl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, or heteroaryl group, and/or combinations thereof; and Q=CHRCHR, CRCR or CHRCHRCHR and R, R and R independently represent hydrogen, an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, alkaryl, aryl or heteroaryl group, or R and R or R and R form together a cyclic structure.