Ink Transfer from the Offset Blanket

Ink transfer studies at GATF show that ink transfer to an offset blanket from the printing plate is similar to transfer to paper in letterpress. Once on the blanket, selected ink components are absorbed and the ink begins to set. Percent transfer to paper is less than percent transfer to the blanket for this reason. Percent transfer to paper is an inverse function of the length of time the ink contacts the blanket. When ink layers accumulate on the blanket, the stability of the last down ink increases and percent transfer approaches 100 percent. The printing speed in this experiment is slower than modern printing presses, but the interaction of the ink with the blanket could serve as a model for offset printing problems like piling in the image area.