Letterpress Ink Density Guide
Stop guessing roller height and ink passes. Pick your paper, type size, and ink to get a reliable starting point for every run.
Find Your Settings
Select your paper, type size, and ink above to see recommendations.
Recommended Starting Point
Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Fuzzy or Squished Letterforms
This usually means too much ink or the roller is too high. Lower the roller by 0.001 inches or cut back one pass. Check that your ink has not thinned out from solvent evaporation.
Uneven Coverage Across the Sheet
Your rollers may be glazed or the ink is not distributing evenly. Clean the rollers with a solvent and re-ink. Also check that your press bed is level.
Paper Cockling After Printing
Too much ink is soaking into the paper. Reduce roller height or switch to a lighter ink pass. On very absorbent stocks like kraft, consider a thinner ink mix.
Ink Not Transferring to Type
The roller may be too low or the ink is too stiff. Raise the roller slightly or add a drop of easy wipe to reduce tack. Make sure the ink is well-mixed before loading.
Show-Through on the Back
The paper is too thin for the ink volume being laid down. Use fewer passes or switch to a faster-drying ink. You can also try a slightly heavier paper stock.
Metallic Ink Looks Dull
Metallic pigments are heavy and need more roller gap. Increase height by 0.001 to 0.002 inches and run an extra pass. Stir the ink frequently because the pigment settles fast.
Understanding the Numbers
Roller height is the gap between the roller and the type face. On most presses, you adjust this with packing under the rollers or with the roller height screws. The numbers here are given in thousandths of an inch. A setting of 0.040 means the roller sits forty thousandths above the type high point (0.918 inches for standard type).
Ink passes are how many times the rollers travel over the type before the paper is impressed. More passes build up ink density but also increase the risk of squeeze and spread. For fine type under 10 point, one or two passes is usually enough. Large display type over 24 point may need three or four.
Coverage quality is a rough guide to what you can expect on the first good pull. "Light" means the impression will be thin and may need another pass. "Medium" should give a solid, even color. "Heavy" means full saturation with rich color but a higher chance of squeeze on the edges.
These recommendations assume your rollers are in good condition with no flat spots or glazing. If your rollers are older or have hardened, you may need to increase the height slightly to compensate for reduced ink transfer.
| Paper Type | Absorbency | Typical Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton text (soft) | High | Reduce roller 0.001, add a pass |
| Cotton cover (firm) | Medium | Use standard settings |
| Coated cover | Low | Increase roller 0.001, fewer passes |
| Kraft / rough | Very high | Reduce roller 0.002, add a pass |
| Mulberry / fibrous | High | Reduce roller 0.001, watch for fiber pickup |
| Linen (textured) | Medium-high | Standard settings, test for even lay |
Questions Printers Ask
- Pick the closest match by weight and surface. If you are using a textured sheet, start with the recommendation for the next heavier weight and reduce from there.
- Yes. Photopolymer plates sit slightly lower than metal type, so reduce the roller height by about 0.001 inches from the recommendation.
- Ink viscosity changes with temperature and age. If the ink has been sitting, stir it well and add a drop of tack reducer if it feels stiff. Also check that your roller is clean and has not glazed over.
- If the type edges look fuzzy, the paper is cockling, or you see ink squeeze around the letterforms, reduce roller height by 0.001 inches or cut back one ink pass.
- Start at 0.040 inches for standard oil-based ink on cotton cover stock with 12 point type. Adjust from there based on your first test pull.
- Yes. Cold rooms make ink stiffer and it transfers less evenly. Warm rooms thin the ink and it spreads more. Try to work between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit for the most consistent results.