The suitability of ink and water is critical to the efficient production of the pressroom. Why do we need to control the balance between water and ink? It is to control the process. The printers are inclined to let the process control them, and they always have to solve them out, instead of controlling the process to eliminate the problem.
Factors Affecting Printing House Water Quality
The gradual analysis began to break the idea of ​​“all water is the same†in the minds of the printers. Because of the different sources of water, the minerals contained therein are also different. Example: Well water and river water contain different minerals. The water flowing from the faucet in the same printing plant is not always the same, although the difference in the water from the same source also affects the way the production works in the printing shop throughout the year. "Other factors include:
The pH of the water is different, the ideal value should be 7.0;
Conductivity, which is based on the number of dissolved minerals in the water;
Chemicals added by local water treatment companies, such as chlorine, fluorine, deodorants, etc.
Fountain and ink
On the printing press, we used a mixture of water and water. Therefore, it is critical to understand the composition of the water fountain solution. The fountain liquid is usually made of 98% water plus 2% of other mixture. The mixture is basically a mixture of alcohol or alcohol, ink and wetting agent (active agent). If the amount of water in the fountain solution is insufficient, it will not work properly.
Temperature is another factor that needs to be controlled. Temperature has little effect in process control. The higher the temperature, the lower the viscosity of the ink, and the greater the amount of water and ink used. The viscosity of the ink will drop after the ink sticks to the water. Other influencing factors include the substrate on which the job is printed and the date of shipment of the ink.
The balance and adaptability of water and ink play the most critical role in the efficient and cost-effective production of printing shops. However, different live jobs have their own unique process requirements at different times, which brings severe challenges to printing production. You can follow the following principles to help achieve and control the ink-water balance:
Install a treatment water system;
Replace ink to ensure quality;
Clean the plate prior to printing to avoid contaminating the fountain solution;
Routine maintenance of the printing press.
Summary: The better the control of ink and water, the better the printing effect. You also gain superior and constant control of the process.