What is Toray Waterless printing?

The conventional method of printing using a pre-sensitized (PS) plate involves major problems in terms of consistency of quality and environmental impact. Among the specific problems with conventional PS printing using a dampening solution are that it does not deliver consistent quality; printing press operation is frequently interrupted to adjust the dampening solution; and the dampening solution contains isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and etching fluid, which are not conducive to environmental conservation.

To eliminate these problems, Toray has developed a printing system that uses silicone to replace the dampening solution. This revolutionary printing system realizes not only environmentally friendly operation and high quality printing but also improvements in productivity.

In waterless printing, unlike in wet printing, there is no problem with water making the ink smudge. This means that waterless printing also eliminates the problem of color change caused by the dot gain which is an inevitable feature of wet printing. Each individual dot is reproduced clearly, giving a clean, high-resolution printing finish. Even on uneven surfaces such as high-quality paper, matte paper, or traditional Japanese paper, dots are reliably reproduced as per the data as round shapes. For cleaner and more accurate printing, waterless printing is the answer.