Patent attributes
A lithographic ink comprises an acid-functional styrenic copolymer and an acid. In one embodiment, the ink contains the copolymer and acid in amounts effective to allow the ink to print lithographically with a fountain containing essentially water. A lithographic printing system comprises a printing press with an ink reservoir containing this ink and a fountain containing essentially only water. The ink is printed lithographically using essentially only water from the fountain. In another embodiment, the lithographic printing system comprises a fountain containing a fountain solution or water and one or more lithographic fountain additives, and the ink is printed using the fountain solution or the water and one or more lithographic fountain additives.
