A growing number of corporations are choosing waterless lithography to print their corporate environmental reports. When the message touts the company's environmental concern, the environmental stewardship of using waterless lithography on recycled paper makes the report shine.

Waterless lithography eliminates the use of isopropyl alcohol and its substitutes in fountain solution. Water conservation can be impressive. On a 2.5 million page run of a five color job, typical of an environmental report, 16 gallons of IPA were averted along with 160 gallons of water. Waterless lithography also produces consistent and
correctly-registered colors faster than traditional methods, saving up to 40% of the wasted makeready paper.

The print quality of waterless lithography is said to be as high as traditional methods at a similar price.

Waterless lithography is growing at a faster rate in Europe than in the United States, primarily due to stronger environmental regulations.

Source: Graphic Arts Monthly, February, 1999, p. 78.