Ghosting is certainly the most irritating of known technical problems in heatset web offset printing. Depending on the angle of the blanket cylinder, the printed image on one side of a page will appear on the other side as a printing error – a ghost image in effect. The name ghosting is very appropriate, not just because of the ghost-like reduction in tonal values, but also because of the apparently random ghostly occurrence of this effect.
Ghosting can occur due to an accumulation of ink or a reduction in the amount of ink. Properly cleaned and maintained presses and the use of high quality ink can help prevent ghosting. Adjusting the layout itself can also help in the prevention of ghosting. If you have a layout that incorporates both areas of heavy ink coverage such as large, bold headlines or reverses and areas of lighter coverage there is potential for ghosting.
