Dot Gain
The tendency of printed halftone dots to spread as ink is absorbed, making the result darker than intended.
Measured in
%
In depth
Gain is greatest in the midtones and varies with paper: uncoated stock may show 25 per cent or more, coated stock nearer 12. Because it is predictable, printer profiles compensate for it in advance, which is why an image prepared for newsprint looks unnaturally light on screen and correct on the page.
Examples in practice
A 50 per cent tone printing at 68 per cent on uncoated paper is compensated by lightening the file before output.