Lithographic printing plate system

Claim 1

Method for making composite lithographic substrates having an aluminum printing member which is recyclable, comprising: providing a continuous web of carrier material having a given width; providing a continuous aluminum web having the same width as the carrier web and a central longitudinal portion defining an image area; continuously applying a releasable adhesive on at least one of the carrier web and the aluminum web along at least two longitudinal lines disposed outside of the image area; releasably adhering the two webs along the longitudinal lines to form a composite web; transversely cutting the composite web to form discrete printing plates wherein the carrier and aluminum portions for a plate have the same length; applying a light sensitive coating on the aluminum member of the discrete plate and exposing and developing the light sensitive coating in the image area thereof; mounting the discrete plate on a printing press; and separating the aluminum member from the carrier after use on the printing press to effect the recycling of the aluminum members.