Lithographic printing plates can be prepared and made ready for lithographic printing without wet development or processing. A positive-working lithographic printing plate precursor is exposed to ablating infrared radiation of an energy of at least 1 J/cm2 to form a lithographic printing plate ready for lithographic printing. The positive-working lithographic printing plate precursor has a hydrophilic aluminum substrate, and on the substrate, a crosslinked hydrophilic inner layer, and an oleophilic surface layer that is chemically bonded to the crosslinked hydrophilic inner layer. An intermediate layer provided between the crosslinked hydrophilic inner and oleophilic surface layers. Either this intermediate or the oleophilic surface layer, or both, generally includes an infrared radiation absorbing compound.