Method for reducing start up blinding in no-process lithographic printing plates

摘要

A method for reducing start up blinding in no-process lithographic printing plates is disclosed. An imageable element, comprising an imageable layer over a substrate, is thermally imaged. The imageable layer comprises a thermally sensitive polymer that comprises quaternary ammonium salts of carboxylic acids. Following imaging, the surface of the imaged imageable is contacted with an aqueous solution comprising 0.05 wt% to about 5 wt% of an added organic acid having a pKa of about 1 to about 6. This reduces the amount of waste produced by the printing process by reducing the number of unusable sheets produced during the "make ready" process.