Tips & Tricks: Picking

Picking occurs when small particles are torn out of the surface of the paper, or printing stock rips during the printing process. This can cause damage to the printing blanket. It becomes necessary to wash more frequently, and print quality is adversely affected. Picking becomes a problem when surfaces are not sufficiently resilient.

This indicates that the tractive force of the printing ink is greater than the fiber adhesion in the paper structure, or the bonding of the pigment used in the coating. Inadequate gluing, or the poor anchoring of the coating material on the paper's surface may cause picking.

Remedy:

• Employ a soft series of inks
• Reduce the ink's tractive force (add printing oil)
• Allow the machine to run on standard working condition
• Raise the rasp temperature (temper the inking system)
• Reduce the speed of the machine; this lessens the traction on the paper
• Use a quick release blanket
• Employ paper of better quality