Details:
Summary:
Comparisons of waterless and conventional offset lithography have been presented numerous times, including several TAGA publications. Nevertheless, the printing community still has not reconciled the obvious benefits of waterless printing: less waste, higher productivity, more consistent quality and environmental friendliness with the lack of commercial growth, especially in the US. Various myths have arisen to explain this contradiction. This study will demystify the issues concerning waterless printing and explain the seeming contradictions based upon controlled comparison studies. The improvements in make ready to color; the greater consistency throughout a print run will be described. Also, the characteristics of conventional printing, especially with digital plates, which minimize the advantages of the waterless process, will be discussed. Finally, the potential for closed loop press controls with digital waterless plates will be shown.