Conductivity is viewed as increasingly important over pH as a monitoring tool for fountain solutions. The best fountain solution concentration depends in part on vendor recommendations and characteristics of the press. The concentration that provides the most trouble-free press run is the appropriate concentration for your system. The best quality control tool is establishing a relationship between the volume of fountain solution and its conductivity. A standardized curve can be made by making a number of mixes, in quarter ounce increments, added to a gallon of purified water. A chart or standardized curve can then be created to show the relationship between the number of ounces per gallon and the press-ready conductivity. The author is available at RReino@aol.com.

Author: Ray Reinertson
Source: Newspapers & Technology, September 1998, page 14