How to Prevent Offsetting on Your Direct Mail Piece

Have you ever received a multi-page mail piece, turned to page 3, and found a mirror image of what was printed on page 2 (the opposite page)?

Well, if you have, then you’ve unfortunately experienced offsetting.

It’s very similar to taking silly puddy and pressing it against a newspaper. The ink on the newspaper transfers to the silly puddy and you see the mirror image.

Offsetting generally takes place when you are using a Matte Coated or Silk Coated stock with heavy coverage on one page and light coverage on the next page.

The reason for this is ink does not fully dry on these types of paper. And when the printer cuts the stock, the pressure causes unwanted ink transfer…this ink transfer can also happen when folding.

The best remedy to fix this quality-degrading problem is to apply a silk or dull varnish either on the heavy coverage area or the entire mail piece (expect for the mail panel).

This varnish “seals” the ink so offsetting doesn’t occur. There’s an additional cost to apply this varnish, however, so please consult with your print vendor before proceeding.

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