Abstract: This invention is directed to a brightening system for zinc deposited from an acid zinc chloride electrolyte containing potassium chloride as a conducting salt and boric acid as a buffer. The active brightener in the system is an aromatic aldehyde or ketone which is dispersed into the electrolyte by a wetting agent system consisting essentially of a mixture of a fatty acid imidiazole sulfonate and a fatty diaminobetaine carboxylate; assisted by a hydrotrope selected from the group consisting of alcohol ethers, cyclic alcohols, and aromatic sulfonates. In some cases, this brightening system can be augmented by the prior art nicotinic acid, or polyamine zinc brightener.