Copolymers useful for the preparation of thermal digital lithographic printing plates

摘要

A thermally imageable element is disclosed. The element made up of a substrate and a composite layer structure composed of two layer coatings. Preferably, the first layer of the composite is composed of an aqueous developable polymer mixture containing a solubility inhibiting material and a photothermal conversion material which is contiguous to the hydrophilic substrate. The second layer of the composite is insoluble in the aqueous solution, is ink receptive, and is composed of one or more non-aqueous soluble polymers which are soluble or dispersible in a solvent which does not dissolve the first layer. The second layer may also contain a photothermal conversion material. Alternatively, the composite layer may be free of photothermal conversion material when thermal imaging is carried out using a thermal printing head.