Emulsion Inks for Single Fluid Lithography

Inks have been developed for single fluid lithography. Four process color emulsions have been successfully run on a prototype, positive-feed, keyless press without dampener. Emulsions of inks contained fountain solution or tap water, depending on formulation. Criteria have been established for determining the necessary emulsion qualities for this printing process using rheometry and differential scanning calorimetry. Print quality is examined in single color and four color modes as functions of water volume and press speed, as well as comparison to conventional lithography.