Methods of processing using silicate-free developer compositions

A method of providing a lithographic printing plate comprising:

• A) imagewise exposing a positive-working lithographic printing plate precursor that has a substrate and an outermost imageable layer that comprises a polymer binder comprising recurring units represented by Structure (Ib) below:
• wherein the recurring units of Structure (Ib) are present in an amount of at least 25 and up to and including 60 mol %, all based on total recurring units in the polymer binder, and R2 is a substituted or unsubstituted hydroxyaryl group in which the hydroxyl group is ortho to the ester linkage, to form exposed and non-exposed regions in the imageable layer, and
• B) developing the resulting imaged lithographic printing plate precursor to remove the exposed regions of the imageable layer, the development being carried out using a silicate-free developer composition having a pH of at least 12 and comprising at least 0.001 gram-atom/kg of a metal cation M2+selected from the group consisting of barium, calcium, strontium, and zinc cations.