A lithographic printing process which comprises the steps of: imagewise
exposing to infrared light a presensitized lithographic plate which
comprises a hydrophilic support and a removable image-forming layer
containing an infrared absorbing agent having the absorption maximum
within an infrared region and a dye precursor having substantially no
absorption within a visible region to change the dye precursor to a
visible dye having an absorption within a visible region within the
exposed area, and to make the image-forming layer irremovable within the
exposed area; removing the image-forming layer within the unexposed area
of the lithographic plate mounted on a cylinder of a printing press; and
then printing an image with the lithographic plate mounted on the
cylinder of the printing press. The other processes are also disclosed.