(57) @ A plate is prepared by uniformly coating a substrate with a powdered material which is capable of being melted by the action of laser light. The plate is then image-wise exposed with a laser to melt the coating in selected areas. The exposed plate is used in lithographic printing plate manufacture. Thus the non-melted powder may be removed from the substrate to leave a lithographic printing image constituted by the laser light struck areas of the plate. Alternatively, the non-melted powder may be transferred and fixed to a transparent substrate which is then used to expose radiation sensitive material to form a lithographic printing plate.