STRIPPING (roller stripping)

A condition in which the ink fails to adhere to, and distribute uniformly on, the ink rollers of the press. Stripping usually shows up as bands or stripes of missing ink that run around the roller as opposed to horizontally across it. Roller stripping occurs when ink rollers develop an affinity for water, which prevents ink from sticking to them. The usual cause is a buildup on the ink rollers of water soluble contaminates from the paper, ink, or fountain solution. Calcium is the usual suspect, coming from tap water or the paper. A good calcium wash and roller deglazing will usually cure roller stripping. See also “complexing solution” and “calcium wash”.