Indiana Administrative Code
Title 326 - AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DIVISION
Article 8 - VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND RULES
Rule 16 - Offset Lithographic Printing and Letterpress Printing
Section 16-3 - Definitions

Universal Citation: 326 IN Admin Code 16-3

Current through March 20, 2024

Authority: IC 13-14-8; IC 13-17-3-4; IC 13-17-3-11

Affected: IC 13-15; IC 13-17

Sec. 3.

The following definitions apply throughout this rule:

(1) "Alcohol" means any of the following compounds, when used as a fountain solution additive for offset lithographic printing:

(A) Ethanol.

(B) n-Propanol.

(C) Isopropanol.

(2) "Alcohol substitute" means a nonalcohol additive that contains VOC and is used in the fountain solution. Some additives are used to reduce the surface tension of water, and others are added to prevent piling (ink buildup).

(3) "Automatic blanket wash system" means equipment used to clean lithographic blankets, which can include, but is not limited to, those utilizing a cloth and expandable bladder, brush, spray, or impregnated cloth system.

(4) "Batch" means a supply of fountain solution that is prepared and used without alteration until completely used or removed from the printing process. For purposes of this rule, the term may apply to solutions prepared in either discrete batches or solutions that are continuously blended with automatic mixing units.

(5) "Cleaning material" means a liquid solvent or solution used to clean the operating surfaces of a printing press and its parts. For purposes of this rule, the term includes, but is not limited to:

(A) blanket wash;

(B) roller wash;

(C) plate cleaner;

(D) metering roller cleaner;

(E) impression cylinder washes;

(F) rubber rejuvenators; and

(G) other cleaners;

used for cleaning a press, press parts, or to remove dried ink or coating from the areas around the press. For purposes of this rule, the term does not include cleaners used on electronic components of a press, prepress cleaning operations (for example, platemaking), postpress cleaning operations (for example, binding), cleaning supplies (for example, detergents) used to clean the floor (other than dried ink) in the area around a press, or cleaning performed in parts washers or cold cleaners.

(6) "Composite partial vapor pressure" means the sum of the partial pressures of the VOC compounds in a solvent.

(7) "Fountain solution" means a mixture of water and other volatile and nonvolatile chemicals and additives used in the lithographic printing operations that maintains the quality of the printing plate including preventing debris buildup (for example, spray power, paper fiber, coating particles, dried ink particles, and other materials), and increases viscosity and reduces the surface tension of the water so that it spreads easily across the printing plate surface. The fountain solution wets the nonimage area so that the ink is maintained within the image areas. Nonvolatile additives include mineral salts and hydrophilic gums. Alcohol and alcohol substitutes are the most common VOC additives used to reduce the surface tension of the fountain solution.

(8) "Fountain solution reservoir" means the collection tank that accepts fountain solution recirculated from the printing unit. In some cases, the tanks are equipped with cooling coils for refrigeration of the fountain solution.

(9) "Heatset" means a class of lithography that requires a heated dryer to solidify the printing inks.

(10) "Letterpress printing" means a printing process in which the:

(A) image area is raised relative to the nonimage area; and

(B) paste ink is transferred to the substrate directly from the image surface.

(11) "Lithographic printing" means a printing process where the image and nonimage areas are chemically differentiated. The image area is oil receptive, and the nonimage area is water receptive. This method differs from other printing methods where the image is a raised or recessed surface.

(12) "Nonheatset" means a class of printing that does not require a heated dryer to solidify the printing inks. Ultraviolet-cured and electron beam-cured inks are considered nonheatset.

(13) "Offset printing" means a printing process that transfers the ink film from the plate to an intermediary surface (blanket) that, in turn, transfers the ink film to the substrate.

(14) "Sheet-fed printing" means a printing process where individual sheets of substrate are fed into the press sequentially.

(15) "Web" means a lithographic printing process where a continuous roll of substrate is fed into a press.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Indiana may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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