Plate Cleaners & Preservers

Plate Cleaners and Preservers are essential products in the offset printing process that ensure the longevity, cleanliness, and consistent performance of printing plates. Plate cleaners remove ink residues, oxidation, and contaminants that accumulate during printing, while plate preservers protect the plates during storage or downtime between print runs. By using both cleaners and preservers, print shops can maintain the quality of their plates, improve print consistency, and reduce the need for frequent plate replacements.

• Plate Cleaners: Plate cleaners are formulated to dissolve and remove ink, debris, and oxidation from the surface of printing plates. During print runs, ink and contaminants can build up on the plate, leading to poor ink transfer, image distortion, and inconsistent print quality. Regular cleaning ensures that the plate remains in optimal condition for high-quality output.
  • Removes ink residue: Ink buildup on plates can cause uneven ink distribution and defects in printed images. Plate cleaners effectively dissolve and remove this residue, ensuring clean and sharp prints.
  • Removes oxidation: Plates can oxidize over time, especially when exposed to air and moisture. Plate cleaners contain deoxidizing agents that eliminate oxidation, restoring the plate's hydrophilic (water-attracting) properties in non-image areas.
  • Prevents scumming and ghosting: Cleaners help prevent scumming (unwanted ink in non-image areas) and ghosting (faint image repetition), which can degrade the quality of the print run.
• Desensitizing Action: Many plate cleaners contain desensitizing agents that treat the non-image areas of the plate, ensuring they repel ink effectively. This is critical for maintaining the ink-water balance on the plate and preventing ink from adhering to non-image areas.
  • Restores hydrophilic properties: Desensitizers ensure that the non-image areas remain water-attracting, preventing ink from sticking and causing print defects.
• Plate Preservers: Plate preservers are used to protect plates during storage, preventing them from drying out, oxidizing, or accumulating dust and debris. These preservers create a protective barrier over the plate, ensuring it remains in good condition when not in use.
  • Prevents oxidation: By creating a protective coating, preservers prevent air and moisture from interacting with the plate surface, reducing the risk of oxidation.
  • Long-term protection: For plates that are stored for extended periods, plate preservers ensure that they remain ready for use without requiring extensive reconditioning before the next print run.
• Easy Application: Both plate cleaners and preservers are designed for easy application. Cleaners are available in liquid, spray, or wipe form, making it simple to apply during press maintenance routines. Preservers are often applied after cleaning, forming a protective layer that seals the plate for storage.
  • Quick and efficient cleaning: Plate cleaners are fast-acting and can be applied with minimal press downtime, allowing for quick cleaning between jobs or during maintenance shifts.
  • Spray-on or wipe-on application: Preservers are typically easy to apply, with spray-on or wipe-on methods that form a thin, protective coating over the plate.
• Increases Plate Longevity: Regular use of plate cleaners and preservers extends the lifespan of printing plates, reducing the frequency of replacements. By preventing wear and maintaining surface quality, these products help offset printers achieve more consistent results over longer print runs.
  • Reduces maintenance costs: Clean, well-preserved plates require less frequent replacement, reducing the overall maintenance costs associated with plate production and printing.
• Maintains Print Quality: By ensuring that plates are free from ink buildup, oxidation, and other contaminants, cleaners and preservers help maintain consistent print quality across multiple runs. Clean plates ensure sharper images, clearer text, and more accurate color reproduction.
  • Prevents print defects: Properly maintained plates reduce the risk of scumming, toning, and ghosting, ensuring that prints are free from defects and inconsistencies.
• Improves Plate Reusability: For plates that are used for multiple print jobs, preservers are especially important. They allow plates to be stored between jobs without losing their effectiveness, making them reusable for future projects without the need for extensive reconditioning.
  • Ensures plates are ready for reuse: Preservers protect the plate’s surface, ensuring that it can be quickly reconditioned and ready for the next print job without requiring major cleaning or repairs.
• Environmentally Friendly Options: Many modern plate cleaners and preservers are formulated to be less harmful to the environment. Biodegradable and low-VOC (volatile organic compound) formulations help reduce the environmental impact of pressroom maintenance while still delivering effective cleaning and preservation.
  • Low-VOC formulas: Environmentally conscious printing facilities can use low-VOC cleaners and preservers to meet sustainability goals without compromising on plate maintenance.
  • Biodegradable cleaners: Eco-friendly plate cleaners break down naturally over time, reducing chemical waste in the pressroom.