‘IHE CURRENT STATE OF 'IHE AID’ of several aspects of water-based coatings and printing processes is presented in this voltnne. It documents the proceedings of the Intemationl Syrrposium on Surface RJ. enornena and Fine Particles in Water-Based Coatings and Printing Teclmology sponsored by the Fine Particle Society (FPS). ‘!his meeting was held in Boston, Massachusetts, August 21-25, 1989. ’!he syrrp:>sium upon which this voltnne is based was organized in six sessions errphasizing various basic and applied areas of research on water-based technology. Major topics discussed involve surface phenomena in coatings, printing defects and their remedies, surface tension effects in water-based coatings and printing inks, surface energies of polymer substrates, wettability, aqueous polymeric film coating of pharmaceuticals, flexographic and gravure printing processes, characterization of coating materials, pigment dispersion, wax emulsions for surface modifications, and the role of polymer in particle/surface deposition. ‘!his edition includes the twenty four selected papers presented in the syrrp:>sium. ’!hese papers are divided in three broad categories: (1) Water-Based Inks and Coatings, (2) Emulsions and Adhesion in Coatings, and (3) Characterization of Coating and Printing Materials. Several types of coating and printing on different substrates using water-based fonnulations with special reference to surface phenomena and particle technology are described in these sections. This proceedings vo1tnne includes discussions of various processes occuring at llIOlecular, microscopic, and macroscopic levels in water-based coatings and printing processes.