David Prince Photography 2017

A commonly used printing technique in which the inked image is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface. When used in combination with the lithographic process, which is based on the repulsion of oil and water, the offset technique employs a flat (planographic) image carrier on which the image to be printed obtains ink from ink rollers, while the non-printing area attracts a water-based film (called "fountain solution"), keeping the non-printing areas ink-free.

A petroleum-based sealant applied by a standard inking unit on press. It can be specified in matte, dull, satin or gloss and applied to the entire sheet or only in selected areas. Matte and dull varnishes are recommended for uncoated papers. (Gloss and satin varnishes can make images appear uneven or mottled.) Varnish darkens inks on uncoated paper—making solid blacks blacker‚ but will not provide any other visual effect.

CMYK printing uses the four process color inks—cyan, magenta, yellow and black—to reproduce a broad spectrum of colors and tones and is made possible by repeating the halftone process for each color.