Web Offset is Keeping Pace

One area mentioned by Barry that has made some progress in the last few years is in the availability of waterless inks. Several years ago there were only one or two ink suppliers, in Japan or Europe. Now, several domestic suppliers offer a wide range of inks.

Barry also sees some inherent advantages of waterless offset technology that make it an appealing option. "The strengths of waterless are its quick makeready characteristics and low waste (for example, there is no need to run the press while adjusting the ink/water balance), low-dot-gain sharpness, and applicability to non-absorptive surfaces (no water means no beading)."