Abstract: A method for processing a photosensitive material characterized in that an exposed photosensitive material is subjected to dip coating with a processing solution, according to which there are no problems encountered in plate making by the conventional dip developing method and coating developing method, rapid processing can be attained, maintenance is easy, less waste processing solution is produced, and lithographic printing plates on which uniform print images can be formed from the top end portion thereof by silver complex diffusion transfer process, and an apparatus used for the processing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for making a lithographic printing plate from a photographic element according to the silver complex diffusion transfer process employing a coating development process with a small amount of developer, wherein the coating amount of the developer is 60 ml or less per 1 m.sup.2 of the photographic element and the developer contains a mercaptooxadiazole having an alkyl group of 4 or more carbon atoms or aryl group and an alkanolamine and/or a meso-ionic compound. The resulting lithographic printing plate has a high printing endurance and free from stains on the background in spite of carrying out the development by a coating method with a small amount of the developer for a short period of time.

Abstract: The present invention provides a printing method using a silver salt lithographic printing plate obtained by imagewise exposing a silver salt lithographic printing plate precursor comprising a support and, provided thereon, at least a silver halide emulsion layer and a physical development nuclei layer and then subjecting the exposed printing plate precursor to silver complex diffusion transfer development and using a dampening composition containing a nonionic surface-active agent represented by the following formula ?I!: ##STR1## wherein R represents an alkyl group of 1-9 carbon atoms, and n.sub.1 and n.sub.2 are mol numbers necessary for the polymer having an average molecular weight of 250 or more, and n.sub.1 /n.sub.2 is 0.5-2, and a polymer represented by the following formula ?II!: ##STR2## wherein m is a number which provides a number-average molecular weight of 2000-50000 for the polymer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a treating solution for lithographic printing plates having ink receptive silver images in which the compound having a mercapto group or a thione group and an oleophilic group which is added to improve ink-receptivity can be solubilized without damaging the ink-receptivity and with using no solvent and in which hydrophilic colloid particles are excellent in time stability. The solution contains at least one alkanolamine and a compound having a mercapto group or a thione group and an oleophilic group and being free from sulfo group and carboxyl group. Preferably, the solution additionally contains an amino acid and hydrophilic colloid particles which are inorganic fine particles having an average particle size of 0.1 .mu.m or less.