Fountain Solutions

A fountain solution is a liquid that serves to keep the areas of the plate that do not have printing graphics clean and ink-free. It works by:

• Wetting the blank part of the printing plate.
• Generating a metal oxide or hydrophilic salt layer.
• Establishing a barrier between the blank part and the ink.
• Desensitizing the non-image areas, rendering them ink-repellent.
• Retard friction wear increasing plate life.
• Prevent the ink train and plate surface from overheating.

A fountain solution is made up of water, a buffer salt that keeps the pH between 4.8 and 5.5, isopropyl alcohol in the proportion of 6% to 8%. Other ingredients in a fountain solution include Lubricants, Release agents for the blanket, Wetting agents, also known as Surfactants, Glycerin, various Glycols.