Fount-free Printing

Fount-free offset (FFO) printing requires that the ink densities of the printed copy are a single valued function of the ink feeds. FFO process requires that the ink feeds be invariant over time and that some components of the ink be compatible with the media's non-image area. FFO processes further require that the transfer media be planographic with neither functionally raised nor depressed ink accepting areas. Such FFO processes are shown to enable closed loop color control technologies. DRUPA 2000 featured several displays that highlighted apparent FFO processes, including KBA's Cortina press demo, Sun/Heidelberg's waterwashable waterless ink demo on the QMXDI press and Presstek/Flint single fluid ink demo using the Anthem plate. We provide a historical review and characterization of these new processes and relate them to our definition of true fount-free processes.