A lithographic printing plate precursor having an image-recording layer on a hydrophilic support, in which the image-recording layer includes an organic polymer particle, and the organic polymer particle is a reaction product obtained by at least reacting an aromatic polyvalent isocyanate compound having a structure represented by Formula PO and water, a method for making a lithographic printing plate having excellent printing resistance in the case of using an ultraviolet-curable ink in printing, a new organic polymer particle, and a resin composition including the organic polymer particle. ##STR00001##

Provided is an on-press development type lithographic printing plate precursor having a support, an image-recording layer, and an outermost layer in this order, in which the image-recording layer contains an infrared absorber, an electron-donating polymerization initiator, and a polymerizable compound, HOMO of the infrared absorber - HOMO of the electron-donating polymerization initiator is 0.60 eV or less, and the outermost layer contains a discoloring compound. Also provided are a method of preparing a lithographic printing plate and a lithographic printing method in which the on-press development type lithographic printing plate precursor is used.

A lithographic printing plate precursor is disclosed which comprises a support, a photopolymerizable image recording layer and an overcoat which comprises a low-molecular radical inhibitor. After image-wise exposure, the plate is heated whereby the radical inhibitor diffuses from the overcoat to the image recording layer, resulting in an increase of the daylight stability of the exposed and heated precursor. Such plate is especially suitable for on-press processing.

A method of lithographic plate making is disclosed wherein a plate precursor is exposed to laser radiation in the wavelength range from 350 to 450 nm, said plate precursor comprising a hydrophilic support and a photopolymerizable or photocrosslinkable image recording layer, and then processed on-press by supplying fountain and ink. The exposure produces a visible image having a 1976 CIELAB color distance AF between exposed and non-exposed areas of at least 2.5.

Provided is a lithographic printing plate precursor having an aluminum support and an image-recording layer formed on the aluminum support, in which the image-recording layer contains resin particles A that have an ethylenically unsaturated group and a compound B that has an ethylenically unsaturated group other than the resin particles A and has an ethylenically unsaturated bond valence of 1.5 mmol/g or more. Also provided are a method for preparing lithographic printing plate or a lithographic printing method using the lithographic printing plate precursor.

Provided is an on-press development type lithographic printing plate precursor having a support and an image-recording layer on the support, in which the image-recording layer contains a compound A that has a partial structure satisfying Δd≥15.5 wherein δd is a value of a dispersion element in the Hansen solubility parameters, and a content of the partial structure satisfying Δd≥15.5 in the compound A is 50% by mass or more with respect to a total mass of the compound. Also provided is a method of preparing lithographic printing plate or a lithographic printing method using the lithographic printing plate precursor.

Lithographic printing plate precursors are prepared with a unique aluminum-containing substrate prepared using two separate anodizing processes to provide an inner aluminum oxide layer of average dry thickness (T.sub.i) of 300-3,000 nm and a multiplicity of inner micropores of average inner micropore diameter (D.sub.i) of ≤100 nm. An outer aluminum oxide layer is also provided to have a multiplicity of outer micropores of average outer micropore diameter (D.sub.o) of 15-30 nm and a dry thickness (T.sub.o) of 30-650 nm. A hydrophilic layer disposed on the outer aluminum oxide layer at 0.0002-0.1 g/m.sup.2 has at least a hydrophilic copolymer composed of (a) recurring units having an amide group and (b) recurring units comprising an —OM group directly connected to a phosphorus atom, wherein M represents a hydrogen, sodium, potassium, or aluminum atom.

A method of lithographic plate making is disclosed wherein a plate precursor is exposed to laser radiation in the wavelength range from 350 to 450 nm, said plate precursor comprising a hydrophilic support and a photopolymerizable or photocrosslinkable image recording layer, and then processed on-press by supplying fountain and ink. The exposure produces a visible image having a 1976 CIELAB color distance ΔE between exposed and non-exposed areas of at least 2.5.

The present invention relates to an apparatus (10) for developing printing precursors (11) comprising a developing station (20) comprising a rotating drum (22) having a fixation mechanism (24) for the precursor (11) and at least one brush (26). The apparatus (10) further comprises a pre-cleaning station (30) and a first transport mechanism (12), the first transport mechanism (12) being configured for transporting the precursor (11) through the pre-cleaning station (30) and, after the precursor (11) has passed the pre-cleaning station (30), to the developing station (20). Further aspects relate to a method for developing a printing precursor using such an apparatus.

Provided is an on-press development type lithographic printing plate precursor having an aluminum support and an image-recording layer on the aluminum support, in which the image-recording layer contains an infrared-absorbing polymethine colorant having HOMO of −5.2 eV or less, a polymerization initiator, and a polymerizable compound having 7 or more functional groups and contains or does not contain a polymer having a molecular weight 10,000 or more, and in a case where the image-recording layer contains the polymer having a molecular weight of 10,000 or more, a ratio Wp/Wm of a content Wp of the polymer having a molecular weight of 10,000 or more to a content Wm of the polymerizable compound having 7 or more functional groups is 1.00 or less. Also provided are a method for preparing a lithographic printing plate and a lithographic printing method using the lithographic printing plate precursor.