This historic pressroom defect occurs when the ink roller or inkball misses a section of the typeform, leaving a noticeably light or completely blank spot on the printed sheet. It is the direct opposite of a monk, which is a dark blotch of excess ink. Press operators must adjust their roller pressure or ink distribution to eliminate these pale voids.
We've a massive friar running down the left column because the ductor roller isn't dropping evenly.
The term comes from the pale robes of certain monastic orders, contrasting with the black robes that inspired the term monk for ink blobs.
Related terms
Ductor
A roller that transfers ink or water from a fountain to the distribution rollers.
Inkball
A historic hand tool used to manually pound ink onto a form of movable type.
Make-ready
The preparatory work required to get a printing press ready for a specific print run.
Slur
A printing defect where the inked image appears blurred or doubled in the direction of paper travel.