Plugged shadows (loss of dark detail)
High severitySymptoms
From 85% to 100% everything looks the same: shadow detail disappears
Probable causes
- The amplified gain of high rulings closes the gaps between dots before reaching solid
- excessive TAC makes it worse
The Print Guy · 2026-10-05
Other problems in this category
High rulings/Stochastic · TPG-011
Dot gain soars at high screen rulings
The print comes out far darker than the proof; plugged midtones despite correct densities
High rulings/Stochastic · TPG-012
Highlight loss (the dot won't print)
Gradients start abruptly: the 2-3% disappears and a visible step appears
High rulings/Stochastic · TPG-016
Accelerated plate wear at high rulings
Highlight loss mid-run; the job starts well and degrades
High rulings/Stochastic · TPG-017
Critical ink-water balance in stochastic
Stochastic is unforgiving: small water variations produce visible color shifts
High rulings/Stochastic · TPG-018
The paper won't support the chosen ruling
Mottling, irregular dot and loss of detail even though press and plates are correct
High rulings/Stochastic · TPG-019
Blankets and rollers unsuited to fine screens
Dirty dot, fill-in between dots or irregular transfer only on high-ruling jobs