Milwaukee, Wisconsin – RBP Chemical Technology-a worldwide manufacturer of surface chemistry products for the printing and electronics industries-recently developed a specific chemical product to address an unusual situation at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  The project benefited The Chicago Reader, an alternative weekly which is printed on the Milwaukee newspaper press.  As part of a rebranding effort, the free Chicago tabloid wished to wrap each edition with a glossy color cover to attract attention.  The outer wrapper, run on the same double-wide press as the newspaper, is saddle stitched and an integral part of each paper.  By working closely with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, RBP modified the fountain solution used by the paper to accommodate the UV inks used on the wrapper.  RBP chemists were able to quickly analyze the problem, and produce a new mild acid fountain solution which effectively runs both conventional and UV inks, enabling press operators to move from conventional to UV runs without adjusting chemistry.  Commenting on how the problem was solved, RBP President Mark Kannenberg said: "As specialists in newspaper production chemistry, RBP chemists were able to analyze the issues at hand, and we quickly had the press on line to meet production deadlines.  RBP scientists, together with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel personnel, conducted preproduction tests and confirmed compatibility of the new fountain solution with the inks, plates, rollers, blankets being used.  This is just one example of how RBP supports the time-critical production requirements of newspapers across North America."