Cleaning An Aluminum Printing Plate

[harleighb]

I recently purchased a few aluminum printing plates from the local newspapers that commemorate special events involving the MN Twins. One of the plates has some fingerprints on it (right on the edge of a nearly full page photo). I'd like to remove the fingerprints (if possible) but don't want to damage the photo. Has anyone done this in the past? Is there a product anyone can recommend?

Thanks.

[RaiderNationPDX]

Re: Cleaning An Aluminum Printing Plate

Brushes:

http://www.harperimage.com/HarperScientific/Printing-Plate-Brushes/product-57

Solvent:

http://www.harperimage.com/HarperScientific/Multi-Purpose-Master-Mix/product-14

Have never used these personally; most large-scale printers have machines that require no hands-on work, just the push of a button. Can't say one way or the other whether these'll work or are safe, but it's a commercially available option.

[emann]

Re: Cleaning An Aluminum Printing Plate

I'd advise leaving them alone, unless it's really detracting from the image (post a pic?) Modern plates aren't really made to be cleaned up (and newspaper plates are basically disposable), they're a phase of the production process and it shows they're the actual plates used which is pretty cool. To me, cleaning the ink off is the printing equivalent of cleaning those sticky clumps of pine tar off a bat.